


Collared

by Rtarara



Category: Supergirl (TV 2015)
Genre: F/F, Minor Character Death, being beaten up, mentions of sexual assault being a thing that could potentially happen, mentions of torture, some violence
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-03-01
Updated: 2017-02-06
Packaged: 2018-05-24 02:46:43
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 8
Words: 44,442
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6138694
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Rtarara/pseuds/Rtarara
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Kara Zor-El wanted nothing more than to fit in and help the people of earth. Unfortunately for her Aliens are reviled and seen as no more than wild animals to be killed or tamed. She was caught after years of hiding and sold as a pet to the "Queen of All Media" who isn't quite what she expected.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I pretty much owe kara-lesbihonest and lishesque each my soul after editing this chapter for me, but I only have one so they will have to go sharesies. Thanks to SVS for first reads and feedback.

Kara Zor-El refused to let tears fall as she was led out of the non-descript government building. The collar was adjusted to its highest setting and she could feel it leaving contact burns in little circles on the soft skin of her neck. Her legs wobbled under her weight and she stumbled as she was shoved forward roughly. Her hands were left unbound; additional restraints were pointless with her collar turned up this high. It took the bulk of her energy to move at all. 

A hint of deja vu assailed her as her handlers shoved her into the back of a town car. The leather seats were soft under her fingers and stood in stark contrast to where she’d been held. They were something out of the life she used to live. She was the owner of a small sort of life, but it was hers and it was good. No one ever looked twice at the lab tech who brought them coffee and ran the tests over and over for validity, but she was able to do good and to help people. It was helping people that led to her current predicament. 

Kara knew the risks of revealing her powers, but her sister had been on a doomed airplane and there was no terror greater than the thought of losing her. Alex was her constant. Being different meant not getting close to anyone, but the Danvers took her in before things had changed and they were family to her—even after Jeremiah had died under suspicious circumstances after speaking out about alien rights. They never sent her away and Alex had held on tighter. Her sister always watched over her, so Kara would give up anything to protect her in return. 

She was shot out of the sky by General Lane’s forces before she could reach her apartment to change and get what she needed to run. Kryptonite—it had a fitting name. The pulsing green remains of her planet struck back at its survivors with deadly consequences. It sapped her strength and churned inside of her, filling her with a burning nausea that she couldn’t escape. They injected the green liquid into her as she screamed that she never wanted to hurt anyone, but her pleas fell on deaf ears. She wasn’t sure if that cry was still true now as she thought of General Lane’s face. Her body no longer felt like a part of her. It was a prison of flesh and blood and glowing green poison. 

Her wounds refused to heal, and they sent a jolt of pain as she tried to turn to look out the window. The bruises on her face were obvious, but her injuries were ignored by her captors as she was ‘questioned’ well past the point of being able to speak. She hadn’t given Alex up, but from their questions she was sure they already knew who helped shield her. She tried not to think about where Alex was; she tried not to think about anything at all. 

Kara didn’t know where she was being taken, or more importantly, to whom. It wasn’t always this way. When she’d first arrived on the planet, her cousin was revered as a hero. She was jealous up until the point he made a disastrous mistake. Kal-El had no way of knowing that using his laser vision to stop that bomb would cause it to explode to much greater effect, killing hundreds of thousands in an instant. The death toll exceeded Hiroshima. If that bomb had been enough to end a war, then this bomb had been a reason to start one. 

Politicians immediately started talking up the dangers that aliens posed to human society. It was the only thing Republicans and Democrats had agreed about for years, and that was how General Lane came to prominence. He was a newly promoted general and had lost his star reporter of a daughter in the explosion. Laws were passed that stripped non-humans of any rights; they were rabid dogs to be put down or made to heel on a leash. Superman was the first given the death penalty. 

Kal-El turned himself in and walked to his execution with his head hung low. The Danvers tried to shield her from it, but Kara secretly took one of their old TVs up to her shared room and claimed that she wanted to be alone. They televised the entire thing and she’d walked out onto the roof afterward to say his last rites. She had wondered if her parents’ eyes went dark like that when they died or if there hadn’t been enough time. She wondered if her own would once they found her. 

As the car drove into the city, she wished that they had. Her life that she lived before was gone and she’d never felt so powerless. She was auctioned off as a ‘pet’ to the highest bidder. It helped to fund the government’s search for extraterrestrials. After they took samples and extracted information, they sold what was left to whomever would pay so she would serve as living reminder that it was humans who held the power on Earth. 

The soldiers joked around her that she’d fetched the highest price yet and how much it had to do with the fact that she was pretty, young and blonde. The conclusion to that line of reasoning was something Kara couldn’t think about. She’d never gotten close enough to someone to sleep with them. How could she hide what she was during that? She clung to what fleeting wisps of hope she had left, told herself that she would be more valuable to medical research. She would be used up, discarded and then, finally, she could go join her people with Rao in the sky. 

The car stopped and the door was flung open as she was pushed outside. She couldn’t stop herself from falling forward onto the pavement this time. She felt the skin on the palms of her hands tear on the rough concrete, but she fought to get back up before the kicking started. 

She was surprised when a pair of women’s high heels came into view. 

“Really gentlemen, must you scuff up my merchandise? She already looks like she’s been chewed up and spat out.” 

Kara drew in a sharp breath. It had to be medical research if it was a girl, didn’t it? Though Earth was different than Krypton about that so maybe it was the other thing. 

The woman in question didn’t address her directly beyond a quick look, instead asking questions of the attache her about her new ‘toy’ and how everything ‘worked’. Kara fought her way back onto her feet, trying to get a good look at her new jailer. She was middle aged with light blonde hair and an outfit that she was sure was worth more than her yearly salary had been at the lab with Alex. Her eyes were green or maybe gold, but they didn’t seem warm as she was speaking. She didn’t look like a doctor or a scientist, but she did seem oddly familiar like they’d she’d seen her before somewhere.

“So what you’re saying is I use this remote to adjust her collar settings and when she’s like this she’s harmless?” The woman turned the device over in her hand. 

“Yes. It’s set to your biometrics so it can’t be altered without you knowing.” The attaché looked at her smugly. She was General Lane’s surviving daughter and shared his views on alien treatment. “I wouldn’t set the level below five which is about where a human woman would be. If she attempted to remove the collar, the collar will remove her head so that won’t be an issue and there is a tracking device if she tries to make a run for it. ”

Cat nodded with what she was told, but Kara’s attention was waning. There wasn’t anywhere for her to run to so it didn’t matter. She didn’t want to fall again, but her ability to keep herself up was waning and she swayed for a moment before catching herself. 

A few legal forms were signed and she was left alone with her new ‘owner’. Cat turned to face her, looking at her with faint disgust, “You are absolutely filthy and you smell like a port-a-john mated with some zoo animal.” 

Kara shrugged, “I’m sorry? They didn’t really give me a chance to…” 

Cat gave her an appraising look. “Come on. You need to get cleaned up before we discuss anything else.” She walked towards the door and held it open.

Kara trailed after her, surprised at the small gesture. “Thank you, Miss…?” 

“Grant. And don’t get used to it.” The woman spoke roughly, but pressed the button to call the elevator once they crossed the marble floor of the lobby.

“Of course not, Miss Grant.” She kept her eyes on the ground in front of her. Subservience had been taught to her during her incarceration. Grant. She swallowed. Cat Grant the Queen of All Media. She was sure now that was who her owner was. There was no chance that she was heading to a medical center. 

The ride up was quiet with each of the elevator’s occupants trying to observe the other without being obvious about it. Maybe with a woman she’d be the one doing things and it wouldn’t hurt? She wished that she’d learned something about same sex relations in school or from the Danvers. It was a glaring oversight. She’d never considered it in relation to herself, but it wasn’t unappealing really. The woman next to her was beautiful and smelled almost too nice, but she’d always assumed she’d find someone she could really trust. The thought of being forced into it was something she couldn’t quite comprehend. 

They arrived at the top floor and Cat opened the door. It was clearly the penthouse. Everything looked like what Kara had seen in fancy magazines. The guiding hand on her back lightly pushing her through the door surprised her and she flinched instinctively. “Sorry. I didn’t mean—habit.” She hadn’t meant to react, but she’d lost track of how long it had been since touching didn’t equal pain. 

“It’s alright.” Miss Grant walked into the apartment and Kara took it as a cue to follow her further inside. They went through the pantry and Kara’s stomach rumbled as she saw real food. Cat opened a door to a tiny bedroom and pulled back. “This is where you sleep. Through that door is a bathroom.” 

Kara stepped inside and she wasn’t sure that she would fit if she tried to lie down sideways, but there was a small window and Kara smiled slightly. “Thank you.” She ran her fingers over the bedspread. The twin size bed looked soft and clean, which was more than she could say for the too short plastic ‘bed’ where she’d been kept prisoner. There was a tiny closet at the end of the bed and a nightstand with a little lamp for light at night. She wondered if she could leave it on. She had lost days to darkness. 

“Yes, well. It’s a servant’s room, but I’ve never had anyone actually live in it since I’ve been here.” She leaned against the door jamb with her arms crossed. 

Kara nodded. She didn’t understand what was happening, but she was too tired to question it. She looked at the bed and bit her lip. 

“You need to go clean up. You’re absolutely filthy. Chop chop.” She waved her off. 

Kara looked down and sighed in disgust at herself. It was true and she wanted to be clean and get the smell of that place off of her. “Absolutely, Miss Grant.” She moved slowly into the bathroom. It was tiny, but she was able to shut the door. It was the first bit of privacy that she’d had since she’d been taken. She leaned against the closed door and felt a sense of relief was over her at not being watched for a moment. 

She stripped the soiled jumpsuit off and looked her body over in the mirror for a second before turning the water on and stepping under the spray. It was warm and she closed her eyes as she looked up and let the water run over her face. She wanted to cry and let it out, but even though she was finally alone, there was still no catharsis. She was too exhausted to mourn. It was a struggle to get the shampoo through her hair, but she managed mostly. The water ran rust colored as she dried blood fell away. She was slightly dizzy as she rinsed the shampoo and skipped conditioner. A few swipes later she turned off the water and pushed the shower door open. 

There was a clean white towel on a shelf above the toilet. She could almost feel like a guest if not for the fact that Miss Grant could press a few buttons and kill her if she wanted. She made a half hearted effort at drying off and walked back into the bedroom. She knew she should go find her ‘owner’, but she was too tired and the bed was inviting. She laid down on top of the blanket to rest for a moment and fell asleep still wrapped in her towel. 

There was something lightly touching her back. In her half asleep haze, she didn’t sense any sort of danger from it. The touches were gently and tracked along her skin pleasantly. She sighed softly, but that seemed to stop them. She felt a more insistent tapping at her shoulder. 

“Wake up.” 

Kara turned and sat up immediately, the towel falling from her, “I’m sorry, Miss Grant.” She hadn’t meant to fall asleep, but it was hard to keep herself awake. She realized the towel had fallen and looked at the woman in front of her to see if she was supposed to pull it up or not. The woman HAD just been touching her quite a bit. The hazel eyes were wide with surprise, but there was a hint of attraction there that she could read. She slowly pulled the towel, waiting to see if she’d be told to stop, but the woman stayed quiet until the fabric was back in place. 

“Well then.” Cat wet her lips, “Now that you’re awake again we have some things to go over.” 

Kara nodded and her heart beat hard and fast in her chest. 

“To start with, do you have some sort of a name? I suppose I could just call you ‘Alien’ all the time, but it might lose it’s appeal at some point.” Cat moved her hands when she spoke. 

“Kara. I’m Kara Zor-El.” She wouldn’t mention Danvers now or ever again.

“Alright, Kiera. Are you planning to kill me in my sleep?” She crossed her arms and looked Kara in the eyes. 

“I...what? No!” She shook her head. General Lane and some of the soldiers who had tortured her, maybe, but killing this beautiful woman was just different somehow. The thought of it made her feel queasy. 

“I have a son, he’s 13. Is he safe also?” Her eyes were harder and Kara leaned back a small amount unconsciously. 

“I wouldn’t hurt a child. I’m not an animal, despite what people may think.” She pulled her arms around herself. 

“Good.” Cat lowered the level on the collar from ten to seven. 

Kara gasped at feeling like she could mostly breathe again. “Thank you.” 

Cat nodded, “You’re useless to me half dead and I doubt you would heal like you were.” 

“No… it… things just got added. They weren’t taken away,” Kara said as she shook her head.

“Alright. So as that’s settled for the moment. We need to talk about your role and responsibilities. For the most part, you see to my needs. Is that understood?” 

Kara looked down and nodded, “I… I’ve never been with a woman. Well, with anyone before. I don’t know how… ”

Cat held up a finger, “I don’t have to buy someone in order to get laid, Kiera.” 

“I didn’t mean to imply. I mean. They said that I would probably be…” Her cheeks flushed red. 

“I can imagine what they implied. It doesn’t mean that’s the job that I have for you.” She curled a blonde ringlet around her finger before giving it a slight tug. “You’ll be my personal assistant. Wherever I am, you take care of things, whether that’s rearranging my schedule, getting me a latte at 3am or re-typing a copy of a rare book in it’s entirety. Is that clear?” 

“That’s… I can do that, Miss Grant.” She blinked and waited for the other shoe to drop. She would be a little more on the clock than she was before, but it was a normal thing that people did. 

“Alright. I leave for work promptly at eight and you will be ready and dressed appropriately in the clothes I’ve selected for you in the closet. The rest of the time, I expect you to be close by and quiet.” 

“Of course.” She would be ready before that and it wouldn’t be too hard not to say much. She bit the inside of her mouth. She hadn’t eaten in days. Her stomach gurgled and she looked down. “Sorry, Miss Grant.” 

“When did you eat last?” She looked Kara over again. 

“I… don’t know. A few days maybe?” She looked at down at her hands. 

Cat sighed, “There is food in the kitchen. On normal days you’ll get portions of food at mealtimes or will permitted to fix yourself something as long as it doesn’t smell. There is fruit and granola bars that would be acceptable to be taken as snacks. Don’t touch anything sharper than a butter knife. There are cups for water in the cupboard.” 

Kara looked up gratefully and smiled, “Thank you.” 

“Yes well. I don’t intend for you to keel over from whatever the Kryptonian equivalent of low blood sugar is.” She stood up. “My son Carter is with his father and I won’t require you for the rest of the day.”

“Alright. I’ll be quiet and ready to go tomorrow.” She wanted to be seen as useful. No one wanted to be owned against their will, but it was easier to focus on the simple things like the fact she would get to eat real food and sleep in a warm bed that smelled a little like lavender. She didn’t have a better option than this and there were far worse ones. 

“Yes, you will.” She shifted as though she might say something more before turning on her heels and walking away. 

Kara waited until she was out of sight before looking for suitable sleeping clothes in her closet. There were some drawers in it and she was able to find a shift and a pair of shorts in addition to some underthings. She moved as quietly as she could and made a sandwich with some lunch meat she saw in the refrigerator. She took it and a banana back to her room along with a tall glass of water. She wolfed all of it down in minutes, her eyes trained on the door as though it would burst open and someone would come and snatch the food away from her. No one did, however, and she crawled under the covers. 

The view from her small window was nice. Part of it was the side of another building, but if she shifted right, she could see out over the city. It made the small room seem bigger and small dark spaces seem further away. She resolved herself to making sure that Cat Grant kept her around for a long time. She’d anticipate whatever she needed before she needed it. She was an expensive accessory for the moment, so she knew she needed to prove herself. She spared a thought for Alex as she closed her eyes. The bed was heavenly, however, and she quickly drifted off to sleep for a second time.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kara has her first day at CatCo. It did not go as well as she would have hoped.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you SO MUCH to lishesque and steathwriter for betaing and fictorium and the rest of sin squad for being super encouraging and giving first reads.

Kara woke with a start as dawn’s glow started to filter through her window. She’d dreamed that she was flying for a brief moment, but chains had reached out to snag her and pull back down to a waiting General Lane. She sighed and carefully fingered the collar at her neck. She didn’t think that she would ever fly again in this lifetime, but she hoped she wouldn’t have to feel green venom coursing through her again either. The sheets were damp from her nightmare and she flung her comforter aside.

She hugged her pillow for a moment. She had a short amount of time before she had to get ready. It was quiet in the Grant residence and no one had bothered her in the night. Cat had said that she wouldn’t, but it was a lot harder to trust than it used to be. She looked over her small room as she sat up and wrapped her arms around her knees, resting her head. She didn’t know why she was here. Not really. She cost a lot of money, but Miss Grant didn’t seem to overly want to hurt or punish her. Her room was clean, warm and the sheets felt soft against her skin. She tried to think of herself as an alien Birkin bag, but something about that seemed false. 

She didn’t want to be late, so she quietly got out of bed and shuffled into the bathroom. She used the facilities and washed her hands. Bending down, she scooped water into her hands and splashed it on her face. She toweled off the moisture and looked at the woman looking back at her. Kara thought she looked older around the eyes, but it was hard to guage with the bruise turning a sickly shade of green. She stared at herself as she brushed her teeth; the reflection was foreign. 

Kara rinsed her mouth out and began getting dressed for the day. The clothes Miss Grant had for her were nicer than she expected. She could easily blend with the other workers if not for the glowing collar around her neck. She looked, but there weren’t any scarves amongst the things set aside for her. She dressed in a pair of tight black dress pants and a crisp blue button up. It was probably the least fashionable thing in the closet, but pants made her feel safer and so did wearing an undershirt below her oxford. The fabrics compressed her body as they tugged against her. It comforted her, almost like a hug. Almost. 

She wondered how Miss Grant knew all of her sizes. Maybe the military gave out her measurements or something. She tugged on a pair of flats and went back into the bathroom to bring her hair into some semblance of order. She looked at the green and purple splotch on her face and wished she had some sort of makeup to cover it. She wore her hair down for once, having decided that her usual updos were pointless. She couldn’t hide her identity anymore and the blonde hair might help to obscure the difference between herself and everyone else. 

Kara tiptoed out to the kitchen and listened for Cat as she poured herself a bowl of cereal. She sat at the bar and began to eat before Cat finished getting ready. She could hear motion in part of the penthouse, so she assumed the other woman was awake. A part of her wanted to snoop, but she wouldn’t risk it while Miss Grant was there. She didn’t want to see what her idea of punishment was. 

Kara ate quickly and washed her bowl and spoon before drying them and placing them back in the cabinets. She debated for a moment, but took a banana and ate that quickly as well. She knew that Miss Grant said that she wouldn’t starve her, but it was a hard thing to believe after food had been dangled in front of her and taken away so many times. 

It was 7:30 when she finished and she looked longingly out at the balcony. She hadn’t been told not to go out there and maybe Cat wouldn’t mind a few minutes. She slipped outside and breathed in deeply. The air was fresh for being in the city and flowers in large planters scented the air with the smell of lilacs and spring. She raised her face towards the sky and closed her eyes. The warmth on her skin felt amazing. Her collar muted the sensation, but her connection to the sun was strong and it gave her a sense of peace in the face of the unknowns that she’d be facing that day.

The sound of a throat being cleared caused her to whip around. “Miss Grant! Is it eight already? I’m sorry if I held you up—” She moved towards her, trying to make herself seem small. 

The woman in question held a hand up to silence her as she looked her over, “It’s 7:45 and you appear ready enough, though the conditioner was placed in your bathroom for a reason.” 

Kara winced and ran her fingers through her hair, “I apologize. I’ll use it next time; I promise.” Cat Grant was meticulously put together again. Everything about her spoke to power and an almost ethereal sort of beauty. 

“See that you do. I won’t have my assistant looking sloppy.” Assistant. Maybe it would be easier if she just thought of Cat as her boss. 

“Of course not, Miss Grant.” The woman came forward and put her hands on the railing. She mirrored Kara’s earlier pose for a moment and Kara watched out of the corner of her eye. Beautiful, but beautiful didn’t mean good. Here on Earth, more often than not, the most beautiful things were the ones most likely to hurt you. Cat sighed and pulled back from the rail. 

“Did you eat? I don’t often have breakfast when Carter is with his father.” She waved her hand as though brushing off the idea.

“I did. Thank you for your generosity.” Cat rolled her eyes in response and looked down at her cell phone. 

“We need to get going. I’ll fill you in on what your position entails on the ride to CatCo.” Kara nodded and followed her out of the penthouse. Cat put on a pair of sunglasses before she pushed a large purse toward Kara who clutched it and carried it downstairs and out to the car for her. The driver opened the door and Cat gestured for Kara to get in first. She was right in assuming that Cat had sent the car for her. This one was nearly identical. Once they were seated, Cat began to speak again.

“At work you will address me as ‘Miss Grant’. The number one rule of the office is no crying. I can’t stand people crying. I don’t know if people think that it will garner them sympathy from me because I’m a woman, but it will not.” She waited for Kara to nod in understanding before she moved on. “This is my latte order.” She pulled out a slip of paper with a complex coffee order on it. “Memorize it because you’ll be running down to Noonan’s to get them for me.” 

Kara’s eyes widened, but she nodded. “Of course.” She didn’t want to bring up the fact that people might not react positively towards her out in public. It wasn’t an outlandish request.

“Coffee runs aside, I assume that you know how to take notes and use human computer systems?” She raised an eyebrow as though daring Kara to contradict her. 

“I have a degree in biochemistry from UCNC.” She looked down at her hands, “Well...had. I mean, the records were purged, I believe.” She bit the inside of her mouth. Now was not the time to ramble. 

“Alright then. I will assume you proficient and have one of our IT lackeys give you a quick rundown.” Cat pulled the glasses down for a moment. “Most of my assistants give up after a few weeks. You don’t have that option, so you should pay attention and perform with some measure of competence.”

“I will do my best—better than that even.” She assured Cat. She had no desire to find out what would happen if she failed to meet expectations. She filed every piece of information about Cat Grant away somewhere she could review later. The woman next to her was a puzzle and solving it was the difference between safety in a small room of her own and some untold hell. Her heart beat faster at the thought. Failure was not an option; Kara wouldn’t allow it to be. 

“Let’s hope that’s actually worth something. I’d hate to have to get another assistant.” Miss Grant pushed the glasses back up onto her face as the car stopped. The driver opened Cat’s door and Kara quickly scrambled after her.

“In the future you’ll be running to get my latte now, but I need to have security give you a pass and show you where you’ll be delivering it TO first.” Cat walked assuredly through a lobby to an elevator no one else seemed to be using. Kara stepped onto it with her and paid attention to the floor number that Cat pressed. Cat, for her part, pulled out her cell phone and started yelling at someone about layouts. Kara didn’t know what to do with herself, so she opted to stay quiet and move to the far wall of the elevator out of sight. 

They stepped out onto a floor with a large, hot pink sculpture of a big cat—a lioness maybe? It made a sort of sense in Kara’s mind. She knew what office was Cat’s immediately. It was large and modern with glass walls so the woman could see out. It also meant that the rest of the employees could see in—see Cat working. Cat stopped her before she went in and called out, “Computer Hobbit?” 

A young man in a cardigan came forward. “Yes, Miss Grant?” 

“Please take Kiera to get a security badge and get her set up with a tablet and company phone—both monitored of course. She’ll be working as my assistant.” She pulled her glasses off and walked away without sparing another glance. Kara watched her walk until she was settled behind a large white desk with at least a dozen screens playing behind her, painting an imposing figure. 

“Um...so… I’m Winn and I guess I’ll be getting you set up.” He scratched the back of his neck and shifted back and forth. 

Kara shifted her focus back to the man in front of her as he spoke. “It um...appears so. I want to get back to Miss Grant as soon as possible.”

“Yeah. She isn’t exactly a patient person,” he mumbled. 

“I wouldn’t know yet.” Winn gestured for her to follow him and she played with her fingers as soon as she was out of Miss Grant’s line of sight. It was probably a fool’s fancy, but she felt a lot more secure when she was in the other woman’s presence. Winn didn’t seem particularly dangerous, but his eyes flicked over her in a way she wasn’t quite comfortable with. 

An hour later she had her own CatCo badge and was heading back with her new devices in hand. It would feel normal if not for the fact that everyone’s eyes seemed to be glued to her the moment she walked into the room. She looked down at the tablet and started to familiarize herself with everything. Miss Grant’s contacts were her contacts and she was in charge of managing her “boss’s” appointments and calendar. The media mogul was a very busy woman and Kara’s head spun as she tried to make sense of the colored coded Outlook view of the week. 

She gave up for the moment and changed to look at what was on the calendar for today, taking a moment to slink into the chair at her assigned desk. She took a few deep breaths. The walking and general activity was already draining her limited store of energy. She allowed herself one more deep breath before throwing herself into memorizing Cat’s day. She made it up to the 2 o’clock meeting with the board before she heard ‘her’ name being called from the glass walled office. 

“KIEERRRRAAAAA.” 

Kara popped up and walked quickly into the room, “Yes Miss Grant?” 

“Latte. Now. Noonan’s. Go.” Cat shooed her with a few waves of her hand. 

Kara hid a wince behind an overly enthusiastic smile. “Of course. I will go and do that.” She turned on her heels and walked out of the office and into the small elevator that she’d taken that morning, rather than the larger one Winn had taken her to see security in. She used her new company phone to look up the location of the coffee shop that Cat had told her to go to. Thankfully it was in the same plaza as the CatCo building. She walked across the lobby and over to the nearby shop. She tried to use her hand to nonchalantly cover the collar around her neck as she got into a short line to order. She looked down at her shoes and let her hair drape around her.

“Next.” A male voice called with a clear air of disinterest. 

A sense of relief flowed through her as she reached the front of the line and gave Cat’s order. The barista sighed in obvious recognition as he rung it up. 

“Name.”

“Kara.” She kept her eyes low.

“4.35. How would you like to pay.”

She frowned and looked at her belongings for some sort of card before her phone popped up with a mobile payment option and she smiled. She was doing alright so far. She lowered her hand so she could hit the buttons to process the payment and the barista recoiled.

“You’re Cat Grant’s new pet alien!” His voice rose in volume and several people turned their heads. 

“I’m just Kara,” She said softly. “I have to give Miss Grant her latte. Please.” She bit her lip.

“Whatever. You’re lucky CatCo is a big client for us.” The barista started to make the drink, but his motions were too heavy and ingredients sloshed over as he made the drink. 

As much as Kara wanted Cat’s drink to be perfect, she was distracted by small groups forming to look at her and point. Whispers reached her ears, but without her enhanced hearing they remained indistinct and her eyes darted from group to group. 

“Alien.” The barista’s voice cut through the din and a cup was placed on the counter. She took it and moved towards the door as fast as she could without running. She felt her heart start to slow as her hand touched the cool metal door handle. She wasn’t prepared for the grip on her arm that pulled her backwards or the fist that barreled into her stomach. 

“My brother was in Metropolis.” A tall man with broad shoulders and a gut growled as he punched her again in her side. 

“I’m sorry,” she said as she put what little strength she had into trying to jump towards the door that a new arrival had pulled open. She managed to make it outside somehow and she ran back towards CatCo clutching her middle. She looked at the cup still in her hand. There was latte dripping down the side and it was a little lighter than it had been. She carefully wiped the side of the cup as she got into the elevator until there were no drops left on the outside.

The elevator dinged and she walked into Miss Grant’s office, forcing herself to drop the injured hand. The errand had taken longer than it should have, but she made it. She walked up to the side of Cat’s desk with a tentative smile. “Your latte, Miss Grant.” 

Cat looked at the latte skeptically and took a sip, her face curling up in disgust. Kara’s face fell as Miss Grant began to speak. 

“One: I like my lattes to be hot. Two: the entire thing tastes like the barista decided to make it with their feet. Three: It isn’t even full, so even if you know nothing about coffee, I can assume you did not oversee proceedings.” Cat held the cup out and dropped it in the wastebasket beside her desk. “I expect you to do better,” she said with disdain. 

Kara bit the inside of her mouth. She wanted to say what happened and that it wasn’t her fault, but she knew that excuses would get her nowhere. Miss Grant expected excellence. She failed to deliver. “I apologize, Miss Grant. I’ll do better next time.” 

“That goes without saying. Now run down to the art department and fetch me tomorrow’s style layouts. Chop chop.” Cat’s eyes returned to her computer screen and Kara fled the office as swiftly as she could. 

Kara took a breath. She had to do better. Images flashed into her mind as she thought of what Cat replacing her would mean. She fought them down as she realized that she was heading in the opposite direction of the art department. She couldn’t keep making these kinds of mistakes. 

She got the layouts and brought them back to Miss Grant with only a few difficulties with the director of the Art Department, who didn’t want her to touch his precious layouts. She received a disapproving look and Cat glancing at her watch and back to Kara when she’d returned before sending her on her next errand. 

The rest of the day went in the same vein and Kara grew more and more frantic. The lettuce wrap hadn’t been crisp enough as the same worker from earlier had packaged it and then refused to give Kara the lunch Cat said she was allowed to order. Kara had forgotten to give Cat her lexapro, though she’d never been given a time for that. She gave up any pretense and started running from location to location to try and be just a bit little faster, but it wasn’t enough. Department heads refused to turn things over to her until she begged and pleaded and every minute added up. She saw amused looks on people’s faces as she tripped over someone’s leg they ‘happened’ to stick out. Cat ran out of M&Ms, which set the entire office on edge and made everyone a bit more vicious. Disappointed green eyes swam in her vision over and over. 

Cat asked for one final latte before they left the office. Kara ran out to Noonan’s and was happy to find that the male barista had gone home and there was a young woman behind the counter who didn’t seem bent on messing up Cat’s order deliberately. Kara was confident about the latte’s quality as she ran back over to CatCo. Her vision swam as she got into the elevator for what she hoped was her final ride up for the day. All she had to was give Cat her latte and she would have done something right today. 

She started moving as soon as the doors opened. Kara turned the corner into Cat’s office, “I have your latte, Miss—” 

The first thing Kara was aware of was that she’d stopped moving. The next was the hot latte soaking through her shirt. The last and most damning was looking up and seeing a look of shock on Cat Grant’s face as her alien assistant barreled into her and spilled coffee over the both of them. 

Cat spluttered and pulled back, looking from her ruined shirt over to Kara and back again. “This is… what is the matter with you?” She grabbed the small napkin from Kara’s hand and wiped at herself to no effect. “Is this some kind of a sick joke? Or maybe it’s some sort of rebellion.” 

“I’m so sorry, Miss Grant.” She looked up trying to keep tears from falling. “I didn’t see you…” 

“They didn’t teach you to look where you’re going on whatever backwards alien planet spawned you?” She gestured towards the elevator. 

Kara tried to let the words roll off of her. She but the inside of her mouth hard to try and let the pain calm her so she wouldn’t violate the only one of Cat’s rules that she hadn’t yet as tears stung her eyes. 

“No. You might be trying to leverage those big blue eyes, flyover state haircut, and constant apologizing into some attempt at making yourself into a human puppy, but that will not work on me.” She stepped onto the elevator and waited for Kara before hitting the button for the lobby. 

The taste of blood filled Kara’s mouth, but it wasn’t enough. The walls of the elevator closed in on her, even with the small window. Everything was crashing down around her. 

“And that was NOT a pun.” Cat hit the elevator stop and crossed her arms over her ruined shirt. “This was intentional and I do not know what you think you’re going to accomplish, but no one is THIS is incompetent. Petty attempts to ‘punish’ me are not something I’m going to tolerate,” she spat. 

It was hard to breath, and despite her best efforts, tears started streaming down her face.   
“I’m not trying to hurt you. I promise… I didn’t mean…” She struggled to pull in enough air, so she breathed faster, starting to hyperventilate. “They wouldn’t make the order right and no one would help me and I had to hide so I wouldn’t get hit again and I tried to go faster, but I couldn’t make it up and please don’t send me away. I… promise…” Her couldn’t feel her face, but her eyes were focused on Cat’s trying to get her to understand. Begging Cat to let her stay. She had used all of her air and couldn’t get draw anymore from the small space. Why was it all gone? 

“Kiera.” Cat’s voice lost some of it’s edge and she tried to focus on it. A hand reached out and grabbed her arm with a firm pressure. “You need to breathe. Slowly.” The words were even, but firm. 

Kara tried to slow down and pull air in slowly and let it out. Terror filled her. It wasn’t enough air. She was going to die. 

“Hey now. With me.” Cat pulled on Kara’s arm and Kara looked up at her. “In.” She breathed in slowly. “Out.” She let the breath go and repeated the action a few times until Kara was doing the same. “There you go.”

“I didn’t mean to—” 

“Sshhh. Breath now. You can explain later.” She mimed another set of breaths for Kara to follow. 

Kara nodded and let her head hang down. She wiped her face with her free hand taking a few moments with Cat’s grip anchoring her from the other side. “Please don’t send me away.” 

Cat sighed. Her voice took on a softer timbre, “I’m not going to send you anywhere. Is that what caused this mess? You treating my latte run as some sort of life or death gauntlet run?” Her grip tightened, “Look at me.” 

Kara lifted her head up, her eyes drifting up to meet Cat’s. It was hard to believe that the woman wouldn’t be getting rid of her after her performance today, despite the kind reassurance. 

“You’re mine. I do appreciate — and even expect — a certain level of devotion, but I’m not going to sell you off to some chop shop because you didn’t get my coffee order right or the layouts were a little late. Understand?” 

“Yes, Miss Grant.” Kara couldn’t detect a lie in Cat’s eyes and her lips twitched up into a watery smile at the words. 

“Good. I don’t plan on explaining myself again. We are going to go home, shower and then you are going to tell me exactly what happened today. Is that clear?” Cat reached into her purse and put on her sunglasses. 

“Yes. Thank you, Miss Grant.” Kara nodded and watched as Cat hit the button for the elevator to resume. It didn’t escape her notice that Cat hadn’t let go of her arm yet. When they reached the lobby, Cat pulled her outside. The hand on her felt like a shield. It was the first time that day that she wasn’t afraid. Cat got into the car first and pulled Kara in after her. As soon as she was sitting, Kara’s eyes started to close. As she drifted off to sleep, she could have sworn someone pushed away a strand of hair that fell across her face.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The aftermath of what happened in the CatCo offices.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much for being patient with me in getting this chapter out. I could give reasons, but suffice to say I will do my damnedest to make sure you don't have to wait so long next time. A special thanks to fictorium for giving this a look and catching some of my many typos and to spaceshipsarecool and bridgetteirish for giving first reads and reassuring me it's not too awful ;)

 

“Kiera…” The soft voice filtered into Kara’s dream. She felt warm, comfortable and safe for the first time in quite a while. She shifted slightly and made a soft ‘mmm’ sound rather than letting herself wake up all the way.

 

“Really Kiera, I know this shirt is already ruined but it’s Jason Wu, silk, and doesn’t deserve the final indignity of being covered in drool.”

 

Kara startled as the sharper words pulled her from her sleep. She blinked her eyes and pulled away from The Queen of All Media, who she’d been using as a pillow. “Oh my god, I’m so sorry Miss Grant. I didn’t mean to um...drool on you or invade your space or—”

 

A hand reached out to grab her arm. “Breathe. I do own happen to own other tops.”

 

Kara nodded as she took a breath and shut her mouth with a soft ‘click’.

 

“Better.” Cat looked her over before turning her head forward. “We’re ready to exit, Morris.”

 

They were stopped outside of Cat’s building, which meant she had been asleep for the entire ride. Kara wondered how long she’d been resting on the other woman and why she hadn’t been shoved off.

 

She took another deep breath as the driver came around and opened the door. Cat got out and Kara found that she missed the feeling of Cat’s hand on her arm. She got out after the older blonde and gasped as she moved her ribs again. She was glad that they were back at Cat’s as she might get the chance to rest for a while. She looked down at the ground as they went into the building and moved into the elevator. It struck her that she would have to explain things to Miss Grant once they were back in the penthouse. There was no real reason she should be ashamed, she knew that, but she felt it all the same coiling around in her stomach.

 

Cat opened the door to the penthouse and went through it with a sigh, kicking her heels off and heading towards her room. She called over her shoulder, “We can meet back out here in 45 minutes or so without being coated in latte.”

 

“Of course, Miss Grant.” Kara shut the door and rushed to her small space.

 

She noticed the beginnings of fresh bruises as she took off the ruined clothes and headed into the shower. Kara swayed as she stepped under the spray, letting herself rest against the wall to steady herself as the hot water poured down on her. There was no one there to see her so she let her tears mingle with the water running down her face. She slid down the wall and wrapped her arms around her legs. It was long minutes before she pushed herself back up and washed her hair, conditioning it quickly before climbing out from the spray.

 

When she got back into her room, she wasn’t sure what she should wear. The pain in her side made the decision for her. She put on the loosest casual wear in the closet and skipped a bra. It made things seem a little better to be clean and in less pain. She wasn’t sure how much time had passed, but she didn’t want to make Miss Grant wait so she trudged out to the living room and sat delicately on the sofa to wait. Her fingers tapped against the arm of the couch.

 

Miss Grant’s actions before had been kind and it was hard for her to make sense of. She wasn’t warm, but she’d talked Kara down from her panic and promised that she wasn’t going to sell her. It was much more than she’d expected, but none of this had been like she’d been anticipating. She’d assumed she’d be raped or dismembered by now, but Cat had done a single thing that would actually hurt her. From her reputation and unerring skill at insults, she knew Cat wasn’t a textbook nice person, but she never had that cold look in her eyes that the soldiers would get before she felt the steel toe of their boots impacting her side. She was something almost larger than life.

 

Kara was pulled from her thoughts as the object of her thoughts walked back into the room dressed in yoga pants and a simple shirt. She was sure they were designer versions, but seeing the woman dressed down made her seem more human. Her musings distracted her and belatedly she realized that Miss Grant had said something and was waiting for her to respond.

 

“I’m sorry…?”

 

Cat scoffed, “Really Kiera? I asked if you’d eaten anything yet.”

 

Kara shook her head, “No, ma’am.”

 

Cat groaned as she sat on opposite side of the large sofa, “Do I look like a ma’am to you?”

 

“No, Miss Grant. I um...you look really good?” Her voice lifted up at the end. Cat Grant looked beautiful, but she wasn’t sure if that was the right thing say at the moment.

 

The older woman sighed, “I suppose that will do. I’m going to order food as I don’t trust you on your feet; Carter’s nanny isn’t here and I really only cook for my son.”

 

Kara nodded. “Okay.” She put a hand over her stomach. Breakfast had been a long time ago.

 

Cat pulled up her phone and tapped it a few times, so Kara assumed she used an app to order whatever it was that they were having. That there _would_ be food mattered more to her than what it was. She put her phone down and angled herself to that she was facing Kara. “Alright. So today was an unmitigated disaster. I want you to go through what happened so that I can make sure that it doesn’t happen again. Start with my cold half of a morning latte and go from there.”

 

Kara took a deep breath, “I went to get your latte like you’d asked, but the barista at Noonan’s didn’t, um, like aliens. I said it was for you so he made it, but I could tell he was sort of messing up.”

 

“And you didn’t say anything because?” She spoke with a practiced patience, drawing the truth out of the woman across from her.

 

“The barista mentioned that I was, you know, an alien so I was getting a lot of angry looks and whispers.” Kara wet her lips. “I took the drink and it WAS hot, but I got grabbed on my way out.” She faded out and looked down at her hands.

 

Cat’s eyes widened, “You...were grabbed at a coffee shop twenty feet from my building?” There was a hint of disbelief to her tone.

 

Kara nodded, “The guy said he had a brother in Metropolis…” She swallowed, “He uh...hit me a few times and I think that’s when part of your drink spilled because I sort of jumped to get away and ran back.”

 

Cat moved closer to Kara and laid a hand on her forearm, “Where did you get hit? That...it should not have happened.”

 

Cat was so close and her eyes were almost soft. Kara found herself meeting the other woman’s gaze, “He hit my stomach and my ribs. The ribs hurt worse, but I think they weren’t in the best shape to begin with.”

 

“Lift your shirt up and show me.”

 

Kara hesitated for a moment before standing up and lifting her shirt to show the damage to her torso, being careful to stop before her breasts would become visible.

 

Cat gasped, “You’ve been walking around like that all day?” Warm fingers ghosted over her skin softly tracing the evidence of her earlier assault before moving to some of the older bruises, brushing along the marks, and raising chill bumps on her skin. “Turn.” Cat’s hands stayed on her as she complied and pulled her shirt up a bit more so Cat got a good view of her back before Kara turned around again. The skin was largely mottled shades of purple with some fading a bit into a sickly green color. She brought her lower lip in between her teeth for a long moment as Cat traced a line down her abdomen. “Alright. That’s...I hadn’t realized you were in quite such bad condition.” She let her hand drop to her lap.

 

“They didn’t hit my face and arms as much. I mean. I was handcuffed but the um...General Lane’s daughter said not to hit my face as much.” She fiddled with her the bottom of her shirt as she let it fall and sat back down. She frowned. Her body used to be in pristine condition, and with Cat looking closely, she wanted it to be that way again.  

 

“I see.” Cat’s lips pursed in thought. “I do not agree with torture. I’m not sure if you read the Tribune, but we were firmly against Guantanamo Bay and have always sought to expose those who violate the Geneva conventions.”

 

“Those don’t apply to off-worlders,” she said offhandedly. There had been a trial and a court had decided that. She remembered watching her adoptive parents’ faces fall as they watched the news coverage.

 

“I’m aware.” The ‘obviously’ was clearly implied. “It just isn’t something that I believe belongs in a civilized society.”

 

Kara nodded, but kept quiet. She was glad when there was a knock at the door.

 

“That will be the concierge with the food.” She stood up and Kara’s eyes widened as she was the one to take the food and set it on the breakfast bar. “I don’t allow eating in the living room.”

 

Kara took that as a cue to come and eat. She awkwardly pulled herself up onto one of the bar chairs and thought for a moment that she saw Cat show a wisp of guilt at making her scramble onto the tall seat. Cat set a plate and silverware for each of them and then passed one of the take out containers over before putting her own food on the plate. Even in the styrofoam take out container, there was an elegance to the food’s plating. There was a large portion of beef in some sort of sauce mixed with fresh vegetables with mashed potatoes on the side. She looked over at Cat who bought a salad for herself, though there was meat on top of it. “Thank you, Miss Grant. This looks really good.” She smiled genuinely at the other woman.

 

Cat waved her off like it was nothing, but Kara quickly plated her food. It smelled amazing and it had been so long since she was allowed to eat a proper meal. It wasn’t like she and Alex often got meals at fancy places anyways with so much of their cash being funneled into private research. She looked over at Cat a few times to make sure the food wasn’t about to be snatched before she started shovelling it into her mouth as fast as she could. She was half way through the meal before she realized that Cat was staring at her in horror. She swallowed the large mouthful of food, “Sorry…”

 

“I’m not going to take it away.” Cat rolled her eyes.

 

“I know. I mean. I just...that would happen a lot where I was before, so I um, got used to eating fast.” She took a small measured bite.

 

“Well, you’ll make yourself sick if you inhale it like that. Slow down. I know this is new, but you can eat as much as you need.” She took careful bites of her own food.

 

“I...you’ve said. I just...I have to adjust.” She took another normal bite. It was easier to taste and Kara couldn’t quite identify all the unique flavors. She smiled slightly as they played on her tongue.  

 

Cat nodded in approval and they ate in silence until Kara had finished her portion and Cat had slid her leftovers to the alien after she’d finished and Kara downed those as well. She put a hand over her stomach once she was done and smiled. She felt full; it was unfamiliar and a little uncomfortable but she smiled wider all the same.

 

Cat finished her glass of wine and poured herself another one. “Alright, so we got up the that first latte, but what happened during the rest of the day?”

 

Kara’s face fell as she started to recount all of the smaller incidents that added up to create the rest of her day from hell. Cat pressed for names and jotted them down as Kara went through the employees who hadn’t been cooperative with her. It was draining, but she felt better as Cat’s jaw clenched with each new incident.

 

“And um...I was so happy to get the right latte that I didn’t see you and ran into you and you know the rest.” She bit the inside of her mouth.

 

“Yes, I recall that part distinctly.” She punctuated her words sharply before taking a deep breath.

“Those responsible will feel the...error...of their ways come morning.” She smirked, a bit of excitement at the prospect visible on her face.

 

Kara wasn’t sure what to say and let her head drop, picking at her cuticles. Did this mean everything was alright? Cat hadn’t mentioned anything was going to happen to her.

 

There was a long silence before Cat spoke again. “Kiera, look at me, please.”

 

Kara pulled her head up and find Miss Grant looking at her intently. Their eyes met and Kara swallowed under the intensity, but found herself unable to look away from the golden green orbs.

 

“It’s not that I don’t want you to be a little afraid of me, my reign of terror at CatCo has proven highly effective, but I need to know that you won’t work yourself up quite so much as you run errands. Can you do that?”

 

“Of course.” It was hard to be sure, but the more she observed her ‘owner’, the more that she felt that she was lucky to have ended up where she was.

 

“Alright. I’m going to go work on getting some incompetent peons fired. You may go and rest.”

 

Kara nodded as Cat got up and started to leave. She hesitated for a moment before gently reaching out and lightly grasping Cat’s arm. “Thank you, Miss Grant.”

 

The older blonde looked confused for a moment before she nodded her acknowledgement and let her mask fall back into place.

 

After Cat left, Kara got up and retreated to her room. It still felt wrong to be in any part of Cat’s apartment without the other woman specifically requesting her presence. She shut the door and laid down on her bed, taking some time to process her day and the way things had shifted. Was it wrong that Miss Grant actually seemed like a decent person? The only person who had stuck up for in years had been Alex. She felt a pang as she thought of her sister. She wondered if she’d get the chance to check in and find out if her sister made it out alright.

 

She considered asking Miss Grant if she could check the news about her capture, but decided against it. She’d already caused a lot of trouble and didn’t want to do anything to endanger the lenience she seemed to have at the moment. How she’d earned that, she wasn’t sure. She wondered again why Cat Grant had decided that she wanted an alien for a personal assistant. No answers jumped at her. She adjusted her collar and sighed. Sleep overtook her before she realized it.

 

Her body was moving—being shook. She jumped back towards the wall and tried to shield her body as she opened her eyes. Wide green eyes were looking back at her.

 

“Relax, Keira.” Cat rolled her eyes. “You’re entirely too high strung. We’re in a penthouse with the best security money can buy. No one’s getting in.” She waved her hand.

 

Kara took deep breaths as her heart slowed, taking the flippant words as a reassurance. “Sorry, Miss Grant. Habit.” She moved to the edge of the bed and sat up with her hands in her lap. “Is there something that you needed?”

 

“Yes. Clearly.” She stood up straight. “I want you to get ready a bit early today and put this on.” She tossed Kara a two piece swimsuit.

 

“Wh—” Kara stopped herself before she could ask why. It wasn’t her place to question. Kara took the suit and wet her lips. The cut made her nervous. It would show quite a bit of skin and she wasn’t comfortable with anyone other than the woman in front of her seeing that. She swallowed, having to trust that Cat would keep protecting her. “Of course, Miss Grant.”

 

“I’ll meet you in the living room in five minutes.” Cat looked unsure for a moment as she cast a final glance in Kara’s direction and headed out of the room.

 

Kara popped up and went into the bathroom. She didn’t want to be late. She was glad for the shower she’d taken the night before and how she didn’t need another. She quickly used the bathroom and brushed her teeth before tugging the suit on and tying it as best she could. It was a little hard to lift her arm up high enough to tie it with her ribs being so sore.

 

Miss Grant was going to be disappointed. Her injuries were clearly visible with so little covering them and darker than the night before. She would be nothing but an embarrassment wherever they were going. She wondered who was going to see her like this and why she needed to be in a swimsuit on a weekday morning, but there wasn’t time to dwell on it as she was out of time.

 

Rushing out to the living room, Kara slid slightly on the floor having forgotten to remove her socks. Cat looked her over inscrutably, her gaze lingering on the bruises for a moment before turning back to her laptop. “I’m working from home this morning. You’ll be keeping out of my way on the balcony. You may select a book from my library if you wish, but pick quickly.”

 

It took a moment for Kara to realize what was happening. She was being given the morning to lay in the sun? It wouldn’t heal her much with the collar up so high, but it would feel wonderful and a shy smile overtook her features. “I...thank you.” She bit her lip, but scurried off to choose a book and get outside. She didn’t want to give Cat a reason to reconsider.

 

There were a surprising number of books on shelves in Cat’s office, but one stuck out at her immediately _The Cat’s Meow: The Life and Times of Catherine Jane Grant_. It was unofficial, but maybe she would be able to learn something about the woman who held Kara’s future in her well manicured hands.

 

She picked up the book and headed back out to the living room, crossing and heading out to the balcony. Cat looked at with an eyebrow raised at her book choice, but she shrugged. There was nothing else she’d want to learn about more.

 

“Very well, Kiera. Just don’t believe everything...or anything that you read.” She gave a shuddering wave of dismissal and Kara headed out to the balcony.

 

Kara was surprised to see that Cat got up and headed out to the balcony door. And locked her out. That was strange, but it wasn’t so strange that Cat would want some privacy. Was it? She was so preoccupied with her thoughts that she missed the first level that her collar was lowered. She gasped as she felt it dip even lower, until it reached it’s lowest setting. She’d only felt that once before when they were calibrating the device. She let out a low moan. It felt so good not to feel weak. She wasn’t nearly as strong as usual, but she was stronger than any human could manage.

 

She smiled widely at Cat, but the mogul was seemingly already absorbed in her work. She would have to do something to show how thankful she was later. Kara laid down on a chaise lounger and let the sun soak into her. She felt her injuries slowly starting to recede. It was heavenly.

 

It was over half an hour before she could do more than let the sun’s rays hit her as she smiled with her eyes closed, glad that she was mostly uncovered. When she started to adjust more to the feeling, she decided to take a look at the book she’d selected.

 

What Cat meant became clear at once. The writer of the book was...less than talented. She debated putting the book down, but there were comments written into the margins in a handwriting that she was sure was Cat’s.

 

As the author wrote about Cat’s childhood as an only child doted on by her mother and father, Cat scratched out the word ‘doted’ and changed it to ‘doubted’. Apparently her childhood wasn’t what it seemed. Cat would cross out stories and write ‘never happened’, ‘overly sentimental drivel’, or ‘how did he sleep with my mother and never notice her skin could give someone a case of frostbite making this impossible’.

 

Kara quickly found herself chuckling at the woman’s wit in the face of over indulgent prose. The only unmolested pages in the first part of the book were about the death of Cat’s father. There was a slight smearing of ink that Kara couldn’t quite tell if it was caused by a spilled drink or perhaps a tear that had slipped from her stoic owner’s face.

 

Kara kept reading about Cat’s time in boarding school and then at Wellesley. She went through anecdotes from people that Cat would label ‘insipid’ or make a note that they’d slept with several professors to get a decent grade. Time was passing swiftly and Kara felt like she was starting to get to know the woman that she lived with and she liked what she’d seen so far. The stories told showed that she sought the truth and never stopped until she got it. The notes in the margin made her feel like she was listening to a friend. That is until she turned the page and realized she didn’t know the other woman at all.

 

On the chapter marker for Chapter Seven, there was a picture of Cat alongside her cousin and the Daily planet six: Lois Lane, Jimmy Olsen, Perry White, Lana Lang, Ron Troupe and Steve Lombard. Those names had been played over and over on television screen for months as the Daily Planet had been the epicenter of the blast. General Lane spoke at length about his daughter and how she’d been dating Clark at the time—how aliens could pretend to care about humans so convincingly and turn around and slaughter them the next minute. She traced Clark’s face and then a young Cat’s. Clark had an arm around Cat and Lois both and Cat was smiling in a way she hadn’t seen yet, a different sort of beautiful in her youth.

 

Her fingers lingered on the corner of the page for minutes before she decided that she wanted to know what happened. There were no notes from Cat in chapters 7 or 8. They told a story of a reporter stuck on the gossip beat, but wanting more and pushing to become an editor. She’d taken it further as a talk show host, but she still kept up with her former colleagues from the Daily planet. It told how she had missed being in Metropolis by a matter of days as she had been on a media tour to promote her transition from talk show host to media mogul. It contained a partial transcript of a speech she’d given just after the incident:

 

_People keep telling me that they’re sorry for my loss. They’re sorry for my loss. The truth of the matter is, I’m sorry for their loss. Our rivalry was legendary, but the reason that the Daily Planet was my rival was because they were so damn good at what they did that I ALWAYS had to stay on my toes. Lois Lane...she was a continual thorn in my side and probably the best friend I’ve ever had. I miss her every day. Still. It isn’t my loss that matters, it’s everyone’s. I learned more than I can say from Perry White and the entire staff of the planet. (pause) But I’m not sure I can fill their shoes alone. There are truths I fear will never find their way to light. I will do my best to let their spirit live on in the Tribune and at CatCo, but the world has lost more than it knows and I’m so deeply sorry for your loss. If you can...honor them in integrity, kindness, and doing your best to stick up for those who can’t stick up for themselves. That is what the former staff of the Planet would want._

 

Kara wiped away a tear, for Cat, for her hopes that maybe this was something more than thinking aliens needed to be kept under lock and key. Cat had lost her best friend in the explosion. That’s why she wouldn’t like someone like Kara loose in the world, even if she wasn’t a cruel person. She had to be keeping her close so she could be sure. A knock at the door pulled her from her thoughts and she walked back towards her owner. She tugged at the collar as Cat raised the levels, setting them a level or so lower than before. She gave the woman a sad smile.

 

“Better?” Hands moved over her side that had regained it’s peachy tan coloring.

 

“Much. Thank you.” She meant it. She could breath again and Cat had taken a risk to let her be powered up.

 

“Good. Carter comes home soon and he’s a sensitive boy. It wouldn’t do for you to be all black and blue.” Cat’s hand flowed along her side once more before the older woman snatched it away as if remembering that she shouldn’t be touching her so freely. Kara missed the contact.  

 

“Of course.” It probably wasn’t about her at all—or maybe it was half and half. She wished that was easier to believe. A part of her wanted so much for someone to care and she knew it was clouding her judgement.

 

“Go get changed and then we’ll head into the office. I’m keeping you closer from now on. I didn’t spend so much money on you just for you to get damaged. That...isn’t what I want.” Cat’s eyes soften for a moment and Kara forced herself to conclude that meant that Cat cared some in spite of everything.

 

“I’ll be out in a moment. Thank you again, Miss Grant. I feel a lot better.” Physically she did at least. Her emotions were a jumble and she wished that she could ask Cat why she was there.

 

“Again. It was for Carter. Meet me in the foyer once you’re done.”

 

Kara nodded and went to get dressed, having more questions about Cat Grant than ever before.


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kara starts to adapt to her new surroundings and makes a possible mistake.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A special thanks to abcooper for giving me the power to write this chapter. Literally...my power cord melted and broke and she had an extra, so give her all the thanks! Thanks to spaceshipsarecool, bridgetteirish, missgrantscheerleader and fictorium for first looks and edits as well!

Kara stood behind Cat in her office with her tablet clutched firmly in hand. Today was going much smoother than the day before. Sunbathing in the morning had gifted her with the energy and stamina to keep meeting the unique demands of her new position and Kara was relieved to feel like a help rather than a hindrance. At least she mostly felt like a help.   

 

Even as an artist and an alien with enhanced vision she couldn’t quite tell the difference between the original and slightly reformatted shades of Sisley lipstick that was a cause of great distress to her boss, but Miss Grant had seemed almost pleased with her when she managed to locate and purchase a few dozen tubes of the old formulation before they were sold out and have them shipped in refrigerated. Of course it ‘took her longer than an Albanian grandmother on her Donkey,’ but there wasn’t a glare to go with the statement so she was determined to take it as a win. 

 

Another point in her corner was the morning parade of people coming into Cat’s office looking smug and leaving while being led out by security. Miss Grant had firing down to an art form with appropriately cutting comments leading into giving the person fired documents saying they get nothing. Then large security guys came with a bankers box full of the former employee’s stuff. In her old life she might have tried to stop so many people from losing their jobs, but now it made her feel warm inside that Cat was making CatCo a safer place for her. 

 

The woman in question pulled her glasses off and rubbed her eyes, “Kiera? Lunch. Go.” 

 

Kara headed down to check in with the security officer that would escort her over to Noonan’s. She was happy to see that the cruel barista from the day before wasn’t working and she was able to order a lettuce wrap for Miss Grant and a hamburger for herself without much fuss. The woman behind the counter was very quick to get her order and Kara wondered if Cat had called and gotten the cruel barista fired as well. Probably. The small warm feeling in her chest grew. 

 

“Here you are, ma’am.” The woman behind the counter handed her order over, looking a little afraid. She wasn’t sure if the woman was scared of her as an alien or of Cat getting her fired. She had gotten so good at blending in, but that wasn’t possible with the collar on her neck serving as a neon sign saying, ‘ALIEN HERE’. 

 

She brought the wrap back quickly, the security guard trailing behind her. She didn’t want Miss Grant’s wrap to get soggy. She bid the guard goodbye at the entrance and took the private elevator up, walking swiftly to get back to Cat as soon as possible. 

 

“Here you are Miss Grant. Your lettuce wrap.” Kara presented it carefully.

 

Cat nodded. “And yourself?” 

 

Kara pulled out her burger. “I was able to order today. Thank you.” 

 

“I have no idea what you’re thanking me for. I had nothing to do that.” She began to carefully eat her lettuce wrap with a knife and fork. 

 

“Of course not.” Kara got the distinct impression that Cat was lying, though she wasn’t sure why. Maybe because Noonan’s wasn’t actually owned by CatCo and it was a little more indicative of caring to interfere there.  

 

Kara prepared to take a big bite of her burger before Cat looked over at her disapprovingly, “Were you raised in the alien equivalent of a barn?” 

 

Kara shook her head, “I was high born…” She caught the implication a moment later and grabbed her own plastic fork and knife set and started to cut the burger up and eat it that way. It was the worst possible way to eat a burger.

 

“Better.” Cat tossed her way, her eyes focused on her computer screen even as she ate. Kara could see how dedicated she was to her company. It made her want to read more of that biography, even if part of it was uncomfortable. 

 

Kara continued to eat her burger and fries as primly as she could. Alex would always joke about how messy of an eater she was and she’d counter that Earth food itself was too messy. She felt a pang thinking about her sister. She still didn’t know if Alex had made it out alright. If she got a slow moment, she might have to risk checking to see if any messages had been sent covertly. 

 

Even though she had more food, she still finished ahead of Cat by a little and was ready to take away her trash once she snapped her fingers. She didn’t have time to linger as Cat started on another list of tasks for her to complete. Most of them involved not leaving this floor. It seemed Cat was still keeping her closer than she was yesterday. Kara preferred it that way and hoped Cat would not stop keeping an eye on her. She never seemed to look directly, but Kara got the sense that she knew anyways. 

 

Her to do list kept her busy for a long while. She watched the sun start to set for a few moments as Cat took another business call, this one with a tired sounding Japanese man. Kara looked down at her tablet. It was monitored, but was it so bad that she might be on something that wasn’t to do with CatCo for a few moments? 

 

Kara felt her heart beating rapidly in her chest as she contemplated. She had to know what happened to Alex and they’d talked about how they might be able to check in if they were ever separated. They had no way of knowing what would be compromised, but the blog they agreed to meet on used burner accounts designed to resist tracking so it wasn’t as traceable. Her hand hovered over the address bar. She could say it was a habit. They might believe that she was looking to compare CatCo coverage with a competitor even though it had almost nothing to do with her job. Her skin was cold and clammy. There was nothing she could do if she found out that Alex was not okay, but not knowing was eating away at her. She looked at her tablet and then over at Cat. She couldn’t do it. There was too much at stake now.  

 

She took a deep breath to clear her nerves and watched Miss Grant on her call. It was clear who was in control. Cat made demands and slung insults in a rapid fire voice and the man on the phone stood no chance, quickly apologizing and promising to fix the issues with CatCo Japan. Once the phone call was over Cat turned to look at her.

 

“We will be leaving shortly. Am I to assume you managed to do what was asked of you?” She asked with a hint of challenge. 

 

“The layouts from all the departments requested have been sent to you, I’ve shuffled your schedule to accommodate the change in the board’s meeting time, I booked a massage for you for next week with Pierre, and I made sure that the newest Lego Minecraft sets would be delivered before Carter gets home from his father's,” Kara listed eagerly, hoping that she hadn’t forgotten anything. 

 

Cat nodded, “That’s...acceptable. I suppose.” She stood up. “I’ve decided to have a drink before we go. Bourbon. Neat.” She didn’t look back as she moved to the balcony. 

 

Kara scrambled across the room and poured the glass about three-fourths full of the reddish amber liquid before carefully taking it out. “Here you are, Miss Grant.” 

 

Cat raised an eyebrow at the amount, “Are you  _ trying _ to get me drunk for some reason? I mean. This isn’t enough to do it, but it does make me wonder…” She took a long sip from the glass.

 

“Oh...I didn’t mean. I mean...I...I...Alex would always, I mean my sister would pour that much and I just thought that was normal but I’ll do less next time.” She finished in a rush. 

 

“Whiskey isn’t popular with aliens, then?” She took another long drag from the liquid. 

 

“No, I mean. It doesn’t affect me...well...it didn’t affect me. I don’t know if it would now with this,”

She gestured to her throat. 

 

Cat paused for a moment before taking drinking from the glass and then passed it over to Kara, her fingertips brushing Kara’s as she took the mostly full glass in confusion. “You’re done?”

 

Cat rolled her eyes, “Take a drink.” 

 

Kara had only tried to drink once and hated the taste, but she wasn’t going to argue with her ‘owner’ over trying it. Especially not when the woman seemed to be taking a casual sort of interest in speaking with her. She didn’t want that to stop. It was almost like having a friend. 

 

She tipped the glass up and took a long drink as she’d seen Cat do. The liquid went down, but she wasn’t prepared for the burn that followed and she sputtered. A bit of the liquid went into her lungs and she started coughing. She felt the glass being taken from her hand and a hand patted her back with a chuckle. “Baby steps, Kiera. You didn’t have to try and down the whole glass.” 

 

The coughing slowed and Cat took her hand away. Kara felt the loss of it. “It didn’t burn last time I tried it.” Her face felt warm and she thought she might feel a bit less on edge. 

 

“Ah. I suppose getting an extraterrestrial drunk wasn’t the best plan anyways.” She went back to her drink and looked out over the city. 

 

Kara shrugged and moved to the railing, turning her gaze to the city lights. She’d always loved the city at night. Each window was a view into someone else’s world. She would used her vision to see in, imagining what it would be like to be someone normal. It was a relief for a minute or two. She couldn’t see them now, but she knew they were there. It was something, but it wasn’t quite the same. She turned to look at Cat, seeing the glow of the lights illuminating her face in a way that made Kara wish she could paint her. She wondered what the mogul saw when she gazed at the city lights. She didn’t dare ask. 

 

Moments passed in silence as Cat finished her drink. Her eyes flicked to Kara and lingered for a moment, searching. Kara didn’t know what she was looking at or for. Cat drained the last of the liquid and sighed. “Time to leave. Gather my things, Kiera. Chop chop.” 

 

Kara nodded and took the glass as Cat held it out to her, shuffling to put it in a certain spot on the wet bar where the cleaning crew would know to find it so it could be cleaned. Whatever mood Cat had been in earlier that meant talking to her like a person had clearly passed. She grabbed Cat’s purse and her sunglasses that she had worn in earlier. “Ready to go, Miss Grant.” 

 

Cat nodded and walked to the elevator, with Kara shuffling along to follow. She wasn’t drunk, but Kara thought she might have seemed just a touch looser than she’d been before in her movements. 

 

The trip back to the penthouse was quieter than Kara would have liked. Half the time her new owner ignored or belittled her, but the other half of the time...Cat seemed to go to great lengths to sure she was alright. It was that half that felt more genuine, though Kara knew it could be wishful thinking on her part. Cat speaking interrupted her thoughts.  

 

“There’s take out on the counter; it arrived just before we did. I’m going to be taking mine into my home office. I’ve had a few more ideas for the simpletons in the Tokyo office who thought a 10 page ‘Trump Through the Years’ spread was a good use of Catco resources.”  Cat looked in the boxes and took one before heading back into the more private area of the apartment. 

 

Kara took her box and sat up on stool behind the counter. The apartment was silent except for the sound of her opening the box and it suddenly felt like far too large a space. Her cell had been tiny. Her room was tiny. This was different and she turned so it would be harder for anyone to sneak up behind her. 

 

She ate quickly as Miss Grant wasn’t there to critique her table manners. The beef dish was good and a bit decadent, she could tell, with a thick cream sauce over the meat. Her physical needs were met, but she wished she had someone to interact with. She was grateful that she wasn’t somewhere awful, of course, but she missed Alex. Eliza. Jeremiah. Her parents. Her Aunt Astra. It had been so long since someone wrapped their arms around her and told her it would be okay. She wondered if Alex and Eliza had joined the other names on her list. 

 

She finished her food and went back to her bedroom. It was a little easier to breathe in the small space. The lights of the city twinkled outside her window. She stripped off the clothes of the day and got ready for bed. It was early yet, but even with the sun bathing earlier she knew she could use the rest. The collar around her neck made her feel constantly tired anyways. It didn’t take long for her to drift off into the land of dreams. 

 

_ Her legs felt like lead as she ran across the field by her childhood home in Midvale. Alex was ahead of her. “Come on, Kara. We’re almost there. Just a little further.” The house was in view and Kara fought as hard as she could to keep pace with her sister. They just had to get home. Eliza appeared in the doorway and Kara felt a second wind. She fought harder. Alex threw herself into her mother’s arms and they wave for her to come on, but suddenly another figure is coming out the door behind them. Kara called out, but it was too late.  _

 

_ The figure stepped into the light and it was General Lane. Two gunshots and her only remaining family was dead, their eyes staring at her still open. She tried to run, but suddenly she saw it. There’s kryptonite littering the ground, casting everything in green. She couldn’t move. Lane moved in slow motion with his troops coming to surround her.  _

 

_ Lane moved until he was practically on top of her. His hand reached out to grab her throat and she couldn’t breath, “I’ve finally got you back, Little Girl. It was only a matter of time and now I finally get to find out what makes an alien tick on the inside.”  _

 

Kara woke up drenched in sweat. She recoiled immediately and curled into the smallest ball possible in the corner where her bed met the wall. Once there, she couldn’t move. Her heart was pounding and tears were streaming down her face. Every creak and shadow filled her with terror as the oppressive darkness of the room closed in around her. She wanted to turn on the light but it was too far away to reach out. She wished she could call out for someone, but Miss Grant would be mad at her she was sure. Kara waited out the night in silence, paralyzed until the dawn began to fill the room with light and the specter of the night was thrown off.

 

Getting ready for work helped to get Kara into a different frame of mind as she went through the familiar rituals. She startled a few times as her hair brushed against her skin, but she was almost feeling like herself when Miss Grant came out looking polished and perfect. Every aspect from her hair to her makeup and clothes were clearly chosen for style and to make an impression. The only thing taking away from the overall effect was the fact that Cat was barefoot, her expensive heels carried in one hand. That made her look even better, but Kara couldn’t articulate how. 

 

Kara smiled at her, “Good Morning, Miss Grant.” She was glad to see her. The last bits of anxiety from her dream fell away. She was Cat’s and not General Lane’s. 

 

Cat rolled her eyes, “Kiera.” Her lips were tipped downward with her eyes in a bit of a scowl. She pulled on her sunglasses one handed and slid on her shoes. “We have ground to make up today.”

 

“Of course!” Kara grabbed Cat’s purse and followed her out closely. 

 

Today was every bit as hectic as the day before, but Kara assumed that was just how it was when you were looking after the CEO of a major corporation. It was easier to keep her mind off of her dream from the night before while Cat was running her ragged. It was the moments of waiting that got to her. The tablet in her hand began to feel heavy. They were probably dead, just like in her vision. 

 

Kara was imagining the ways it could have happened when she felt a hand on her arm and jumped.

 

“Jesus Kiera, you don’t have to be so jumpy here.” There was a moment of what looked like concern before it faded, her expression becoming it’s usual air of self-importance. “I was just letting you know that I’ll be having lunch with Amal Clooney, who happens to be close and who would be great for a piece on the bravery of women journalists. So you’ll be on your own for a bit.”

 

Kara swallowed, “Of… course Miss Grant.” 

 

“Go get your lunch before I leave and you can stay in my office until my return.” She flipped her hand limply. “It’ll keep you out of trouble while I’m gone.” 

 

“I’ll go right away.” Kara would feel a lot safer tucked away in the boss’s office than anywhere else while the woman was away. 

 

“See that you do.” Cat was already moving back to her desk. 

 

Kara ran and got a quick melt from Noonan’s along with a sticky bun, glad for her security escort at the busy time of day. Cat was heading out when she got back and shut the door behind Kara as she headed into her office. “Stay where you can be seen.” 

 

Kara nodded, not wanting to make the woman angry with her. She watched Cat climb into her private elevator before opening her bag of food and beginning to eat. She sat on the floor by the coffee table, not wanting to make a mess or spill in the fancy office. 

 

It didn’t take her long to finish her food, leaving her with time alone. The sensation of being alone with people watching her brought back too many memories and she tried to distract herself by memorizing Cat’s schedule for the next week or two. Her mind was usually quick to absorb that kind of information, but today it was hard to focus. All she could think about was her sister and her foster mother. 

 

Her tablet felt heavy in her hand. She couldn’t stand not knowing. If Cat found out she would have to come up with something as much as the thought made her stomach turn over in knots. She fired up the tablet and tried the address to see if she could even access the news blog that they’d decided on. The page came up. It seemed that other news blogs were considered work related enough that they weren’t blocked. 

 

A few deep breaths to sure herself and she scrolled down the articles. She wasn’t sure what half of them were about. So much had happened since she was taken and it wasn’t like they let her have newspapers in her dark little cell. Kara picked an article on the President visiting the sight of a freak earthquake in Des Moines that had leveled a section of the city. She and Alex had said that they’d look for each other on the presidential articles. 

 

Kara skimmed the article about the geological oddity before digging into the comments section. There were hundreds of comments so she went through carefull to make sure that she didn’t miss it. She was starting to get discouraged until she reached a message at almost the bottom of the list and almost jumped with joy. That HAD to be Alex. 

 

**SlytherSister89: As always, big media is covering up the truth. There are no tectonic plates in Iowa. I thought this site was above the government controlled drivel pushed by Cat Grant and her cronies.**

 

She wasn’t sure what the message meant. She knew her sister was trying to tell her something about the story not being true, but it was hard to say what beyond the clear disdain for Cat’s ownership of her. To be honest, she didn’t care. Her sister wasn’t dead because of her and she was safe enough to post this message. Kara carefully created a burner account that Alex could recognize and started to compose her message. She wasn’t sure how much time she’d have. 

 

**ExtraHuffleHerm2003: Cat Grant reports with integrity, though I can’t speak to this blog as I haven’t been reading it much of late. I’m not sure if that will change based on what I’ve seen today.**

 

Kara hoped Alex got what she was saying. Cat Grant wasn’t a bad person and Kara herself was alright, if unsure that she’d be able to use this means of contact again. She looked towards the elevator and kept hitting the refresh, hoping for another comment. 

 

**SlytherSister89: I’m happy someone replied. I’m a just not a fan of Cat Grant, but since my mother passed away I’ve been a little angry in general. It’s hard, but it inspired me to help people see the truth.**

 

Kara gasped. Eliza had been killed. With all the death she’d experienced in her life, she should be numb to it, but the loss felt cutting. The hum of the office melted away, leaving her with only the sound of blood rushing in her ears. The first thought that came to her was that at least there was one less person to worry about dying. She bit her fist to stifle a sob. She was horrible to think that. Kara just wanted her foster mother back. She’d never get chocolate chip pecan pie ever again. The feeling of having someone make her favorite thing for her. A mother’s hug. The woman was brilliant and it was such a senseless loss. 

 

She couldn’t help but wonder how close her dream had been to the reality. She wanted to ask how it happened, to ask where Alex was and how she got away. None of that was an option. All she could do was try and keep Alex safe and away from her. It was over and she couldn’t bear to lose Alex as well. 

 

**ExtraHuffleHerm2003: I’m so sorry for your loss. I do think you should leave Cat Grant out of it and focus on yourself and what makes you happy. You can still be happy.**

 

She didn’t get the chance to wait for additional replies as Cat chose that moment to step off of the elevator. She closed out of the website and wiped her eyes. She couldn’t let Cat know that anything was up or that she’d betrayed her trust in giving her internet access. Kara stood up and went to wait for Cat by the door, taking her bag as she unlocked the door and walked in and forcing back her emotions as best she could. 

 

“Good afternoon, Miss Grant. I hope your lunch went well,” Kara said as she brought her hands behind her back, standing at a sort of attention. 

 

“I was, of course, dazzling. I charmed her and we’ll be getting the interview along with a photoshoot for our next issue of CatCo magazine.” Cat grinned as she walked to her desk and kicked off her heels. She looked over at Kara for a moment, her eyes narrowing. “And what did you get up to while I was away?” 

 

Kara wondered for a moment if Cat was able to read minds, but she didn’t think there was any way that Cat Grant could be an alien too. She swallowed and tried to look less scared than she was, “Nothing much. I ate my lunch. It was nice to be allowed to stay in here, thank you.” A tendril of guilt pooled in her stomach. She knew she was giving more leeway than she ever could have expected and of course she’d contacted a fugitive at the first chance.

 

Cat didn’t look like she quite believed her, but she moved on quickly. “Alright then, Kiera. I need you to go make copies for this afternoon’s editors meeting, call Angela and change my facial from my usual to a contouring facial as I decided to attend the gala at the new Modern Art gallery after all, arrange transport for the event as well, and get me a latte. I need to perk up after hearing about George Clooney’s propensity to leave his socks lying around.”

 

Kara stood stunned for a moment, trying to commit the tasks to memory, her mind trying to flash to images of Eliza rather than the task at hand. 

 

“Well…” She made a shooing motion and Kara snapped out of her thought. 

 

“Of course. Right away!” She scurried off to make sure Cat got everything she wanted.

 

It was harder to keep on task than it had been that morning. She made a few small mistakes with misordering copied pages probably being the most egregious. Cat had wondered aloud, ‘whether they had numbers on her home planet or if they all just carved notches onto sticks.’ 

 

At the end of the day her hands were shaking at the effort of keeping herself together. She reminded herself to breathe and that she’d be allowed to breakdown later. Cat was on her last call of the day and hadn’t treated her any differently so far, so Kara assumed she hadn’t been caught using the tablet. It was a small relief in the face of her loss. Cat set down the phone and Kara mentally prepared to grab Cat’s things for when the mogul would announce they were going. 

 

She sighed in frustration when she saw one of Cat’s employees approach her desk. This was one more delay in her getting home. She watched as Winn, the IT guy who’d been so terrified of her on her first day, pulled out his tablet. He darted glances in her direction as he showed Miss Grant something on the device. At first her lips tipped up into a smile before he said something else and a deep scowl overtook her features. Her eyes cut over to Kara, and Kara could read disappointment before something colder took hold. 

 

“Kiera, give Winn your tablet and phone. They will be getting additional layers of security.” Kara could see the tension in Cat’s jaw as she clenched her mouth shut. 

 

“Of course, Miss Grant.” Kara couldn’t meet her eyes as she grabbed the devices from her desk and handed the pair over to Winn. He left quickly, as though he expected some sort of explosion. 

 

An explosion would have been easier to stomach. Instead of yelling, Cat turned icy. It was hard for Kara to place exactly how this was different than when she was usually ignoring her, but there was something in the way Cat carried herself turned away from her and didn’t seem to be checking she was there like she usually did. They walked out of the building and rode home in silence. The air was thick and stifling and Kara couldn’t hold back tears after a few blocks. Cat didn’t reach out to comfort her and suddenly she wasn’t sure it was worth knowing Alex was alive to have to know that Eliza was dead and to lose the only safety and comfort that she’d managed to find. 

 

When they got into the penthouse, Cat stopped in the middle of the room not looking directly at her. “I’m disappointed in you, Kiera. I thought I could give you a tiny modicum of trust, but I was mistaken which is not something that I usually allow myself to be.” She grabbed the control to Kara’s collar and set it up a few notches. “I am quite sure you were drawing a target on my back if the cardigan hobbit’s coding analysis was correct, so I will ask you once who you were communicating with.” 

 

Kara wanted to tell the truth, but revealing that Alex was alive and communicating with her could be dangerous. She was sure her sister was a highly sought criminal at this point for hiding her for so long. The site wasn’t THAT secure, she didn’t think. She took a deep breath,“Miss Grant, I wasn’t. It was just a stupid commenter. I wasn’t—” Cat cut her off with a raised hand.

 

“I don’t want to hear any more lies. I think allowing you to serve as my assistant may have been a bad idea after all. I don’t know.” She rubbed her hands together for a moment before dropping them, her entire body sagging. “Just…go to your room.” 

 

Kara’s tears fell freely. She wanted to explain, but how could she explain when it meant compromising her sister. She walked to her room and shut the door before letting herself sink down onto the carpet. She wrapped her arms around her legs and laid her head down against them. 

 

She wasn’t sure how much time had passed but it grew dark outside, thought the lights from the city provided a slight glow in the room. She thought about Cat and the little comforts that the woman was providing her with. It wasn’t the easiest thing in the world to read, but she could tell that Cat cared about her. She  _ had _ cared about her in any case. Her actions today ruined a lot of the trust that she’d been given almost right away. She felt like she was balancing on the razor’s edge of a knife and if she fell off one way, there would be nothing but coldness from Cat. If she fell off the other, she could be mourning the only family member that she had left on this world or any other. 

 

It all came down to whether or not she could trust Cat and she wasn’t sure. Her gut was saying that she could, but her mind was telling her that it would be absolutely insane. She took a deep breath. The only instinctive thing she had done since she landed on this planet was saving Alex and she’d do it again, even knowing what torture would follow. She would have to trust those again. She couldn’t live like this forever. She needed more than existing alone with a wall between her and the world and Cat Grant was the only person who could possibly provide her with a respite. 

 

It was harder to push off the ground with her collar up so high, but she managed to get on her feet with only a small amount of swaying. She opened down the hall and walked slowly out and across the kitchen. She wasn’t allowed in the more personal areas of the penthouse and had never been back into them. Kara listened for any sign of Cat and hear typing coming from a room a few doors down the hall. Looking in, she could see Cat working on something intently. She felt her nerves sending shivers around her entire body and for a long moment she debated walking away slowly, but she couldn’t. She knocked twice on the door jamb. 

 

Cat startled and looked up before drawling, “I distinctly recall telling you to go to your room. I assumed you knew enough of earth customs to know that staying in it was part of the arrangement as well, but apparently I was mistaken about that as well.” 

 

Kara moved slowly into the room, lowering herself when she got next to Cat so that she was looking up at her in the least threatening way she knew how. “I’m sorry.” 

 

Cat kept typing, not looking down at her. She reached up and put a hand on Cat’s knee, causing the typing to stop even as Cat kept staring off. “I was communicating with my sister. I...they didn’t tell me whether she got away or was imprisoned or killed. I just...I wanted to know that she was okay.” Kara’s voice broke slightly, “I wasn’t trying to get you hurt. I wanted her to leave me to be here and not to risk anything else for me. I’m not worth it and I...you’re kind to me. A part of me is glad it’s over. This is better than I expected—had hoped for even.” She swallowed. “I’m sorry I didn’t trust you, I just don’t want anything to happen to Alex. She told me my foster mother died, so my sister is all I have left. Please understand...” Tears were flowing down Kara’s face again. 

 

Cat looked down, green eyes looking blurred through her own watery orbs. Cat cupped her face and wiped a few tears away with the pad of her thumb. The small kindness causing Kara to cry harder. “You could have asked.”

 

“I was afraid. I’m always so scared of going back. I dream about it when I fall asleep or even when I close my eyes for too long, I’m back there.” Kara let her head drop slightly so it was resting against Cat’s leg. 

 

Kara felt Cat’s hand shift and start moving through her hair. “I can’t protect you if you lie to me and go behind my back.” The words were spoken softly, the coldness from earlier gone.

 

“I know. I’m sorry. It won’t happen again, I promise.” Kara closed her eyes, the fingers running through her hair soothing her and telling her she made the right choice. 

 

“See that it doesn’t.” Cat didn’t stop her hands and Kara was content to let her keep going. 

 

The tears drained from her slowly until she felt calmer and a little more at peace with everything that had happened. She wanted Cat to hug her and tell her that everything was going to be alright, but she knew that was too far—too overt. She was lucky to have been given this. Soft soothing touches helped the hurt to recede. She heard Cat’s voice breaking through her thoughts. 

 

“It’s getting late, Kara, we should get to bed.” Cat’s hand stilled, resting along the side of her face. 

 

“Of course. You’re right, Miss Grant.” She registered something different about what Cat said, but she was too nervous about sleeping alone to realize that Cat had used her name correctly. 

Cat stood up first and offered a hand to Kara, which she took with a soft smile. “Thank you.”

 

“I didn’t do anything….though...I’m sorry for your loss.” She let Kara’s hand go slowly and headed out of the room. “I’ll see you in the morning. There’s food in the refrigerator if you’re hungry.” She disappeared into a nearby doorway, which Kara assumed must be her room.

  
Kara headed back to the kitchen and ate a bit of the leftovers cold before getting ready for bed. She realized as she was brushing her teeth that her collar had been lowered again. She smiled as she headed into the sleeping area. Settling into bed, the room felt too lonely and too dark. She tossed and turned for over an hour before sitting up and biting her lip. She walked out of her room and back down to the private part of the penthouse. Cat’s door was cracked and Kara let out a small sigh of relief. She didn’t dare knock, but she laid down on the floor and angled herself so that she could see the outline of Cat resting in bed. She watched Cat’s chest move up and down and quickly nodded off feeling that maybe someone was looking out for her. She slept soundly, curled around the pillow and throw blanket that somehow found themselves draped over her during the night. 


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Carter comes home from visiting his father.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Major thanks to spaceshipsarecool for helping get a lot of this on track and for a ton of edits. Thank you to fictorium for edits as well and to the sin bin for kind words and comments that keep me on track with this stuff. I am happy that I was a little faster in getting this to you and I hope that you enjoy it :D

Kara woke up feeling herself surrounded in warmth. She snuggled into the pillow under her and wrapped the blanket around herself. Alex would be waking her up for work soon, she was sure. She listened for the sounds of her sister, but didn’t hear them. Wasn’t Alex on a trip? Her mind turned it over, searching for an answer. She jerked awake fully, remembering suddenly where she was. 

 

She looked down at the pillow beneath her head and ran her hand over the blanket. She didn’t a bring a blanket or pillow when she went to lie down last night, so that meant that someone has seen her and given them to her while she slept. Cat was the only person who could have and that made the blanket seem softer and warmer. She had slept better last night being close to the other woman. 

 

It was hard to tell the exact time, but Kara looked into Miss Grant’s room and didn’t see her sleeping anymore. She heard the shower turn on, so Kara assumed that she was meant to be getting ready as well. Kara folded the linens neatly and, after a long moment of debate, put them on a chair just inside the door to the master bedroom. It felt especially intimate knowing Cat was undressed on the other side of the door to the master bathroom. It made her cheeks feel warm and she rushed back to her own space.  

 

Getting ready to meet the day was easier today. She was still sad about losing Eliza, but it was less overwhelming. She could push it to the corner of her mind where her parents, her world and her foster father lived—a place to not dwell on lest it swallow her up. 

 

She was putting her breakfast bowl in the dishwasher when Cat swept into the room looking beautifully put together in a green dress. Kara smiled at her, “Good morning, Miss Grant. I hope you slept alright.” As much as she appreciated the gesture of Cat covering her with a blanket, she didn’t want to be seen as a bother. She felt her stomach drop as she realized how much she might have overstepped. It was kind of creepy sleeping outside someone’s room and watching them. She looked down at the countertop. 

 

“Better than some.” Cat grabbed a fancy organic breakfast bar that Kara hadn’t seen her touch yet. “Is my choice in mattress so bad that the floor in the hallway is preferable to it?” She kept moving towards the door and Kara followed, grabbing Cat’s purse and handing her her sunglasses. 

 

“No...I mean, the bed is wonderful and soft. I just...get nightmares and it’s better when you’re closer. It makes them less real.” She couldn’t meet Cat’s eyes. 

 

“Well...I suppose I am a vision enough to crowd out anything else, even while sleeping.” She flicked her wrist, deflecting the seriousness of Kara’s tone. “I suppose it’s alright this once as long as you don’t make a habit of it.” 

 

“Of course not.” Kara knew that wasn’t the truth and the lie shone in her voice. Maybe she’d be able to limit herself to every other day until the dreams got less terrible, but she didn’t know if she could. She fully expected to be back on the floor the next night, though it might be complicated by Carter’s arrival; she wasn’t sure what to expect from Cat’s son. 

 

She followed Cat out the door, letting her mind wander to the pictures tastefully strewn around the penthouse of a boy with floppy dark hair. He didn’t look much like his mother and she wasn’t sure if that was a good sign or not. As kind as Cat was to her, she could be a bit mercurial. Even so, Kara smiled as she thought of the gentler moments. She smiled  wider as she thought about the way Cat’s fingers had felt running through her hair. Maybe the boy would be kind as well. She hadn’t had much luck with 13 year old boys when she was 13 herself, but Cat was different than the soccer moms back home and she hoped the woman had raised Carter better than they had raised most of the 7th grade class of Midvale Junior High. 

 

Kara was pulled from her thoughts as the car drove up to CatCo and everything exploded in a flurry of activity. If she thought the day before was busy, it was nothing compared to today. She was glad her newly resecured tablet still allowed her a dictionary because she’d had to use it to look up words no fewer than three insults that Cat had lobbed her way. She would worry that it was something she did, but Cat was yelling at absolutely everyone. Both the Art and Style Directors left her office trying to hide tears. 

 

Kara was surprised when Cat called her in and told her that they were leaving. Cat was practically buzzing as they got in the car. If she didn’t know better, she would have guessed that Cat was nervous. She couldn’t imagine what Cat felt she had to be nervous about; they were only going to meet Carter at the airport and they would be quite early if their departure time was any indication. 

 

They pulled up to a private air strip and the formal car idled while it sat. Kara looked out the window to see if she could spy the plane coming in. She was grateful that it was a private plane as the larger ones brought up a lot of feelings since she had saved Alex. 

 

She felt more than saw Miss Grant fidgeting next to her. The tapping of her fingers against the screen of her phone was expected, but she kept rearranging herself—crossing her legs just to immediately uncross them and then cross them the other way. Kara turned to face her once her heel began to tap in a steady rhythm against the floor of the car. 

 

“Are you...alright, Miss Grant?” Kara doubted there was anything she could do, but she wanted to help Cat like the woman had helped her the night before. 

 

“I’m perfectly fine.” She gritted through her teeth. “I’d be even better if the incompetent pilot we hired to fly the CatCo jet had delivered my son to me already.” 

 

“He’ll be landing soon, I’m sure.” She looked out as far as she could. “I think that might be the plane.” She pointed. It was only a speck, even to her, but Cat seemed like she could use the hope. It could be scary when your loved one was flying somewhere, she was well aware.

 

“Possibly, I suppose.” She went back to tapping, but her eyes drifted to the window more frequently. 

 

Thankfully as the speck grew larger, it became clear that it was a plane and that it was heading for the airfield. A few smooth turns and the flying machine landed gently on the tarmac. It had scarcely stopped before Cat was out of the car and marching towards the plane. She stared daggers at the harried attendant that was tasked with maneuvering the stairs into place so that Carter could exit. 

 

Kara got out of the car and went to stand to the side of Cat. She watched as the door was opened and the teenager stepped out and walked down the stairs slowly. He had a bag slung over his shoulder but he didn’t seem to be in a rush. Cat was another story. 

 

“Carter!” Cat ran forward and wrapped her arms around her son. Kara smiled but the smile faded as the boy in question didn’t return his mother’s embrace. For a moment Cat looked as though she’d been physically struck. “I was worried about you. You haven’t been answering my texts. I had to call your father and make sure you were receiving them.” 

 

His eyes focused down at his feet, “I got them.” His gaze turned to Kara. His expression shifted to something less tense as he walked up to her, leaving Cat behind. It took him a moment before he took a few breathes and lifted his eyes to meet hers. “Hi. I’m Carter.” He extended his hand.

 

“I’m Kara…?” She reached out slowly and allowed Carter to shake her hand. It felt surreal as Carter gave her a shy smile. He seemed a little nervous, but it felt different—like it was a normal case of nerves from meeting someone for the first time instead of a fear she was about to rip him apart. 

 

“It’s nice to meet you, Kara.” He thought for a moment before letting her hand go and offering his arm in its stead. He bit his lip and looked a little unsure. “May I escort you to the car?”

 

The car was less than 15 feet away. Carter’s actions made no sense to her and were completely unlike anything expect from a boy his age. It seemed as though he was following some sort of 1800’s etiquette guide pulled out of a Jane Austen novel. “Alright…” It didn’t seem dangerous so she went along with what he was asking, but looked back over her shoulder for a moment at Cat to see if it was alright. She found Cat was looking away pointedly with her jaw set. There was definitely something more going on. 

 

Carter waved the driver away and opened the door for her himself. Cat came round the other side and let the driver open her door and climbed in, leaving Kara to scootch into the awkward middle seat if Carter was to have a place to sit without climbing over her. Carter followed Kara in and put his backpack in his lap. It was a little cozy in the back of the car, though it wasn’t small by any means with extra legroom before the privacy divider. Kara felt the car shake for a moment as Carter’s luggage was put in the trunk. 

 

Cat was the one to break the silence, “Did you have a nice time with your father?” 

 

Carter shrugged in response. 

 

“Did your school do well in the science fair?” She probed a bit too lightly. 

 

“It wasn’t a fair. It was a national exhibition and we came in second.” He adjusted the backpack on his lap as the driver started moving. 

 

“That’s marvelous, honey. We’ll have to celebrate somehow. That’s quite an achievement.” Kara could hear the pride in Cat’s voice as she spoke. 

 

“I’m good. I just wanna go home and spend some time with my new friend, Kara.” He turned to face her more, ignoring the look of confusion clear on her face. “What sorts of things do you like to do?”

 

Kara swallowed, “I...we used to play board games. My sister and I, I mean. Friends sometimes but I didn’t really have many of those for, um, reasons.” She thought for another moment. “I liked to draw and paint. I...there was a time I wanted to be a writer like your mom, but I went into science for practical purposes.”

 

Carter gave her his undivided attention, “That’s really cool. I love board games and video games too, and I like Ticket to Ride and Settlers of Catan a lot.” He smiled at her. “We don’t have many art supplies in the house because Grants aren’t very good at drawing, but I’ll buy you some.” He looked over at his mother for a moment pointedly, “With my own money.” 

 

Kara blinked a few times, her eyes watering. It was stupid to get emotional over an offer to buy her something to create with, but the easy kindness took her off guard. Art had been an escape for her since she arrived where she could focus on what was in front of her and not have to feel so much. She wet her lips, “I...you don’t have to do that. I’m sure you have more important things to spend your money on.” She gripped her hands together. “Thank you, though. It...means a lot.” She blinked faster. 

 

“I don’t. I mean. I have everything I need and I’d really like to see what you make.” He glared at his mother for a longer moment before looking back. “You’re a guest in our home and so it’s important to make sure there’s stuff you like to do. Do you like Lego? You can help me build if you want. I have a really cool spaceship idea.” 

 

Kara’s eyes cut to Cat, but she had put her sunglasses back on and seemed to be trying to ignore what was happening. She wondered for a moment if Carter had no idea what she was, but she could feel her collar in place and there was no mistaking it. Maybe he wasn’t a fan of people being owned. It was possible, she supposed, though rare. Maybe he really was that sheltered and Cat told him that they had a house guest. She realized that the young man was still waiting for an answer, but she didn’t want to overstep. “If it’s alright with your mom…” 

 

Carter didn’t give Cat a chance to interject, “Of course you can build with me. We can play games too. You’ll be staying with us for a while, at least. Are you any good at video games? I have Call of Duty. I’m not super big on shooting people, but I like the strategy and skill elements.” 

 

Kara felt herself deflate. He must think she had questionable taste in clunky, futuristic necklaces. He was acting like she was some sort of friend of the family that would be staying for a little while. Not what she was. “I...I’m not sure that’s a good idea. I’m not…” She adjusted the collar at her neck. She didn’t know how to word it if Cat hadn’t told him, but she couldn’t have him not knowing she wasn’t really like them. “I’m not really a house guest. I’m there to help your mom out as her assistant. I shouldn’t monopolize your time.”

 

Carter scowled at his mother for a second before looking back at Kara kindly, “I know you’re an alien and stuff, but what happens to aliens is speciest and it stereotypes all people who aren’t from Earth as bad and all humans as good. That’s just prejudice and xenophobia.” He nodded. “I’m not the only one who thinks so. My friend Jazz says...”

 

Kara blinked and tried to form a response. She was saved having to as Cat cut in.

 

“Carter! We talked about this extensively. You promised that you would stop contacting pro-alien supporters like AliensandJazz66 and posting on that blog. I checked the website you were using! I am...I don’t even have the words, Young Man.” She pulled off her glasses. Her eyes were narrowed, but Kara could read the fear behind them. 

 

“I started a new one and I don’t have to contact them, they contact me.” He smirked in defiance. 

 

“You know that is not what I meant and you are arguing semantics.” She paused for a moment. “I am confiscating your phone and your laptop for the next two weeks and I’ll be having my IT guy set them up so that you aren’t out there getting yourself on some government terrorist watchlist.” 

 

“Take them then. I’ll still find a way to blog. You can’t just silence me.” He crossed his arms around his bag. “You’re so hypocritical! Your entire job is based on telling the truth and freedom of speech and you’re just making it so I can’t publish.”

 

“I publish well-researched stories and there is a lot that crosses my desk that doesn’t make it to press.” She softened her voice. “It’s about discernment and knowing when you can and can’t push the envelope.” 

 

“Well people are dying and being tortured and all kinds of bad stuff.” He spat. “Maxwell Lord DISSECTED a woman who could spit poison. I’ve seen the leaked security video before it disappeared everywhere—everyone’s computers included.” Kara felt her stomach recoil. A woman like her had been cut up and examined. She knew it was possible and that most aliens who were bought weren’t really seen again, but having the confirmation caused her blood to run cold as her stomach started to roll. She brought a hand to her middle before swallowing and taking a few measured breaths to try and get her reactions under control. 

 

Cat sighed, “You have no proof that video was legitimate.” 

 

“It passed a pixel check and all of the sudden it’s just gone? I know a cover up. YOU taught me that.” He looked away from his mother and out the window. 

 

“If they can make a video disappear, then don’t you think that they could make you disappear just as easily?” Cat reached over Kara and put her hand on Carter’s knee. 

 

He pulled away from the touch. “I’m not afraid.”

 

“Well I am.” Cat slowly drew back her arm. 

 

“That’s your problem, not mine.” He took deep breaths and Kara could hear him counting in hushed tones. 

 

Kara turned her eyes to Cat to see her response. The conversation had gotten intense and she felt fear rising inside of her. If aliens were too much of a problem for the pair, then wasn’t she making it worse? Was Cat just being nice to her to get on Carter’s good side somehow? That seemed a little extreme, but it was hard for Kara to read Cat at this moment. A stony mask had fallen into place. It could be mistaken for calm, but Kara could feel how tightly the woman was holding herself next to her. Cat put her glasses back on and moved away from her slightly and Kara frowned.

 

The ride back to the penthouse was tense. Both Grants were looking out the window and avoiding any sort of conversation with Kara staring forward looking at the privacy divider with her hands in her lap. She didn’t think that there was anything she could do to make the situation less awkward and she didn’t want to anger either one of them by interjecting herself. 

 

When they reached the penthouse, Carter was just as solicitous as he had been at the airport. Kara tried to refuse the help, but promptly stumbled getting out so she found herself being helped in regardless. 

 

“Thank you, Carter. You really shouldn’t though.” 

 

“Of course I should.” He looked over at his mother challengingly, but she didn’t rise to it. Kara suspected she was planning, or picking her battles. She hoped the solution wasn’t to get rid of her for not being worth the trouble. 

 

“I’ll um...just be in my room.” She moved to leave, but Carter moved in front of her.

 

“You don’t have to leave. We can go hang out in my room.” He looked up at Kara hopefully. 

 

Cat let out a low, “Carter...rules.” 

 

Carter rolled his eyes, “She’s old, mom! It’s not like she’s a girl-girl.” 

 

Cat sighed at that. “I know she’s more like a babysitter, but humor me.”

 

He scoffed. “Fine. We can hang out in the media room and play video games.” He grabbed Kara’s hand and pulled her to a part of the apartment that she hadn’t explored yet.  There was a comfortable-looking sectional and chair, a wooden coffee table and a large television. Carter went up and turned on the TV. 

 

“Call of Duty or like, Mario Kart?” He looked through a large selection of games for a few different systems. 

 

“Mario Kart would be fine.” She didn’t really want to see people getting killed at the moment. 

 

“Okay. S’cool.” He shrugged and started to fiddle with the electronics, putting the game in and pulling out controllers. He handed Kara a white Wiimote with a joystick. “Here you go.” He himself had a tablet looking thing. It must be a newer Wii than she’d used before. 

 

“Thank you.” She held the controller in her hand. It seemed oddly normal. She wasn’t sure where Cat had gotten off to, but it was a little less tense without the Grant vs. Grant battle of wills. 

 

“Okay, so I figured we’d do a 50cc circuit to get warmed up and then we could use the bigger cars? You can pick first. I’m pretty good with a couple of different racers.” He stretched as if he were about to take part in a sporting event. Kara found it endearing to see his concentration shift to the game in front of him. 

 

“That sounds good.” She selected toadstool. “I will warn you, I’m pretty good at this game. My sister and I had a Wii in high-school. It got intense. My foster mother had to separate us a few times.” She felt a pang as she remembered Eliza taking their controllers away and sending them to separate rooms to cool off ‘until they were willing to hug and make up’.

 

Carter grinned, “So you have a family then?” He selected Yoshi and selected the first circuit. 

 

“I...my sister is still alive.” For now. 

 

“Is she an alien too?” They started to battle around the track and it took Kara a second to respond. 

 

“No. She’s my adopted sister. I didn’t have a sister on Krypton. Our planet...it was dying so not many children were being born towards the end.” She tripped on a banana peel and told herself to focus better. They were just talking about the past. It was just facts.  

 

“Oh...that’s the same planet as Kal-El. Were you guys related?” He let out a groan as Kara nailed him with a red shell and passed him.

 

“He was my little cousin. He...he was just a baby when he was sent to Earth. He was more human than he was Kryptonian.” She spoke quietly. It had been so long since she’d spoken of him at all and it was getting harder to keep her emotions in check. 

 

“That’s cool. I..um...I don’t think he meant to kill all those people like they said. I think he was trying to help.” He caught a speed boost and passed Kara. 

 

“He…” Her voice caught. “He wanted to help people.”

 

“What was he…” Carter started, but was cut off by Cat who had entered silently. 

 

“Carter, it’s rude to quiz someone about sensitive subjects while they're trying to race. It gives you an unfair advantage.” Kara jumped and her kart flew off the road. She wondered how long Cat had been listening. 

 

Kara felt relieved that Cat was orchestrating a subject change, though. It wasn’t that she didn’t like Carter. It was sort of nice to have someone openly not despise her, but there were too many emotions and she didn’t want to lose control and start sobbing again. She wasn’t sure if Cat would comfort her in front of Carter...or at all after the day they’d had. 

 

“Fine.” Carter scoffed. 

 

It was easier to focus on the game now that they weren’t delving into painful parts of her past. She lost the first race but she did a lot better in the ones that followed so that she and Carter were neck and neck coming into the final round. Talk had focused on the game between her and Carter, with each challenging the other and lightly trash talking with every new round. Cat had pulled herself into the room’s chair with her laptop and drink. She was clearly working and focused on something else for the most part, but Kara got the sense she was perfectly aware of what was happening on the screen and between Carter and herself. The atmosphere was lighter than it had been and Kara was glad for it. She didn’t want to have to worry about being sent off. Cat had promised she wouldn’t, but that was just for things she did—not for things Carter did. It was easy to tell Cat was hurting and trying to hide it, and that meant the cracks must be glaring. She didn’t think Cat Grant would get to where she was if everyone knew what she was thinking all the time. 

 

It was a tight race, but she pulled off a green shell hit just as they were about to cross the finish line and overtook Carter by about a second. She forgot herself and jumped up. “BOOYAH!” Her eyes widened and darted over to Cat before she sat back down swiftly. “Sorry…” 

 

“Nah! Don’t apologize. That was a good shot.” Carter smiled at her good-naturedly, assuming she was talking about the shell and not her outburst in front of Cat. 

 

“I’ve seen better.” Cat chimed in from her seat. 

 

Carter rolled his eyes, falling back into what looked like a familiar sort of banter. “You’re not THAT good, Mom! I win at least half the time.” 

 

“You’re my son. I go easy on you.” She smirked, though her eyes looked hopeful. Kara hoped Carter wouldn’t shut her down again. 

 

“You don’t go easy on anyone.” He volleyed back with a more serious tone, looking angry with himself for slipping earlier. 

 

Kara deflated along with Cat’s sigh. Cat didn’t try and get the joking atmosphere back. “Well in any case, I put a lasagna in the oven before I came in and it’s about ready to come out so we should head into the dining room. 

 

Kara followed the two Grant’s out of the room, Cat branching off into the kitchen. Kara started after her, “Do you need any help?” 

 

“No. I don’t need your help.” Her tone was harsh, though she looked more sad than angry. Kara pulled back, raising her hands. 

 

“Sorry. I’ll um...just...uh...go.” Kara walked out, cursing that she headed towards the common area, rather than her room where she could hide. Carter was quick to come looking for her and ‘escorted’ her into the dining room. Her only consolation was that she managed to grab the seat further from Cat as opposed to closer, putting Carter between them. 

 

Cat brought the food in in a couple of trips, there was lasagne along with a salad and garlic bread. Kara waited until the others were served to take anything, giving herself as large of portions as she dared. She couldn’t help but notice that Cat took a scant amount of the pasta and salad and seemed a lot more interested in her recently refilled whisky glass. 

 

“So Carter, have you given any thought to what you’d like to do before school starts up again? I...know you’re upset with me, but I did clear time in my schedule to spend with you if you want to. Since it’s tradition...” She moved her salad around her plate.  

 

Carter thought for a moment, “I dunno. I did want to go to the science museum because they have a new evolutionary biology exhibit, but I think I’ll just stay home and hang out with Kara since you wouldn’t want to be seen with an alien socializing.” He speared a cherry tomato with more force than was necessary and plopped it into his mouth.

 

Cat looked like she wanted to protest, but dropped it. “If that’s what you want.” She took a long drink. 

 

Kara kept her head down, eating as efficiently as she could without offending Cat with her table manners. She tried to think of a way that she could fix things between the pair. Maybe if she talked to Carter some when they were hanging out or maybe she could try and refuse to hang out and stay in her room. The thought was wholly unappealing and she didn’t want to let Carter down and cause even more trouble.    

 

The room was quiet save for the sounds of silverware brushing against china. Carter turned to ask Kara a question, but she kept her head resolutely down and focused on her food. She didn’t want to be the cause of making Miss Grant even more upset with her. She was glad when her plate was empty and she could ask Cat if she could be excused from the table. Cat waved her off and Kara went to rinse her plate and put it in the dishwasher with Carter following close behind. 

 

“How about a board game next?” He gave her a soft smile. 

 

“I...I might just go to my room.” She looked in its direction. 

 

“Mom’s just mad I’m not doing exactly what she wants. It’s not your fault. Come on! Dad doesn’t really play games and I’ve been missing them.” He left and looked back at her, waiting for her to follow. 

 

“Can we...invite your mom? Games are um, usually more fun with three players.” She scratched the back of her neck. 

 

“Nah. She’s just going to drink a bunch in her office like usual.” He walked off towards the media room, taking a moment to make a ‘come on’ motion to Kara. 

 

Kara spared a look for Cat who was sitting at the table and drinking, having given up the pretense of dinner. It wouldn’t be right to leave the boy alone, even if he might not get mad at her if she said no. It was hard to gauge. She frowned, but followed Carter back into the media room where the teen immediately went to get a stack of board games. Playing with Carter was easy. It was the most effortless thing that she’d done since she’d been taken. He didn’t recoil away from her and they talked about his school and his friends. She lost at Ticket to Ride, but she laughed at Carter’s face as she scooped the largest army title to give her the points she needed to win Settlers of Catan. Kara found herself relaxing and forgetting her ‘place’ as the two joked. She hardly noticed the time passing until Cat’s voice rang out through the room as Kara was teaching Carter her middle school favorite game of Egyptian Rat Screw, which she told him was called Slap, and the two were arguing who slapped first. 

 

“Carter. It’s after 10:30.” She was holding onto the door jamb and Kara wondered if she needed it for support. Her eyes looked a little unfocused. Kara scrambled to her feet realizing suddenly what the slapping of the cards might have sounded like. 

 

“Mom.” Carter whined. “It’s not a school night.” 

 

“Which is why you were allowed to stay up until 10:30. It’ll be 11 before you get ready and finish whatever comic you’ve chosen for the night and actually turn in.” 

 

“Fine.” He got up. He wrapped his arms around her for a long moment and Kara brought hers up to hug him back. It was over too quickly, but left tears in her eyes. She had missed those. “Goodnight, Kara!” 

 

“Goodnight, Carter.” She gave a little wave. 

 

He walked past his mother and down the hall. Cat looked for a moment as though she was going to go after him, but her shoulders dropped and she walked to her office without looking back at Kara. Kara felt guilt rise up inside of her. She hadn’t tried much at all to get Carter to be nicer to his mother; she took the easy conversation and camaraderie. Cat had been kind to her, but it was much more complicated than the easy affection Carter wanted to give her. She let herself imagine for a moment what that might feel like from Cat, but she could feel herself wanting it too much so she shut it down. It was better to focus on reality. It was clear that Cat was struggling, but she couldn’t think of quite what to do about it. 

 

Kara carefully cleaned up the media room, putting away the games and cards before heading back to her room. She went through her nightly routine and slipped into a set of pajamas before sliding into bed and shutting her eyes. She tried to will a calm sleep to come so that she wouldn’t have to risk irritating Cat by leaving after she was told not to make it a habit. 

 

It was easier to drift, thinking about playing games with Carter. She could feel sleep overtaking her and she jolted, tossing herself back and into the wall with a soft thud. She couldn’t understand why something as simple as falling asleep was so difficult for her. They were just dreams. She moved back under the blankets, but couldn’t settle. Kara tried a few more times before she gave up and walked back out into the Grant residence. It had been a while, so Cat was probably in bed and she could easily sleep in the hallway again. It was nice, especially if she woke up to find herself covered up with a blanket again.

 

She looked at Cat’s room, but the door was still shut and her office door was cracked letting a sliver of light seep out into the hallway. Kara walked forward quietly, wanting to check and see if Cat was alright. She’d been unsteady earlier and Kara worried. She walked up to the door and tried to see through the gap. She couldn’t quite make out where Cat was in the room, so she leaned forward and peeked through. Cat was sitting on a sofa looking out the window. She knew she should back away, but she took a moment to study the other woman. Sadness radiated from her, but it didn’t take away from the lines of her face or the way that the glow from the city was reflecting in her eyes. 

 

“Is there some reason you’re spying on me? You might as well come in; your mouth breathing is distracting.” Cat’s voice was remarkably free of slurring, though she ran her words together slightly. 

 

Kara pushed open the door and walked in, “I’m sorry. I…” She swallowed. “I couldn’t sleep.” 

 

Cat nodded as if that was expected. “Well then, by all means, make yourself at home.” Her tone was sarcastic, but she reached forward to a tray on her coffee table and poured Kara a drink, a small amount of the brown liquid spilling out as her hands wavered. 

 

Kara walked forward and took the glass, only drinking when Cat looked at her expectantly. She winced, but managed not to spit the drink up so she considered it a win. 

Cat rolled her eyes, “Don’t just stand there looming like an alien giant. Sit. Or finish that and go. I don’t care which.” 

 

Kara decided to take the invitation. She was nervous, but even with Cat being her more prickly version, it was better than specters of General Lane haunting her in her room. There was a piece of paper on the seat next to Cat and she carefully picked it up before sitting. It read, ‘My Hero by Carter Grant.’ 

 

Cat saw her looking at it and snorted, “What a difference a couple of years make.” She rested her glass against her forehead for a moment. “It wasn’t always like this. We were...we were close and I thought I was doing it right, but one day he started looking at me like I was a stranger and then he started treating me like I was a problem.” She held one finger up. “No...problematic. I’m problematic.” She finished what was left in her glass in one gulp. “Years of trying to do right by him every single day and one issue wipes it all out.”  

 

“That’s...hard. I’m sure he’ll grow out of it. Kids...sometimes it takes them a little bit to grasp who their parents really are.” She offered a tiny smile of encouragement. She had been angry at her own parents for a long time for sending her away and for failing to save their world.  

 

Cat pulled the paper she was holding out of her hand and started to read, “My mom is my hero because she stands for truth and while lots of people say that they do, she really does. She’s smart and knows a lot about everything. I look up to her and hope that I can be just like her one day.” She glanced up at the ceiling and her voice grew quieter, “He was bullied for writing that. They were in 4th grade and it wasn’t ‘cool’ for a boy to want to be like his mother. I told him that I wouldn’t mind if he picked someone else, but he just looked at me and said, ‘why would I do that when you’re my hero?’. As if nothing else mattered.” 

 

“He...loves you. I don’t think he’d be as mad at you if he didn’t.” She thought back to Alex and how she’d get into fights with Eliza when they were teenagers. 

 

“Maybe. I...I can’t live up to that. If I say something he doesn’t agree with or if, god forbid, a CatCo reporter says something and it makes it to print...well...that’s it.” She reached forward and poured herself another drink. “I thought I was finally doing it right, but now...he hates me. I’ve driven him away and there’s nothing I can do about it.” She wiped discreetly at her eyes. 

 

Kara frowned. She wanted to say that everything would be alright, but then she remembered the way that Alex’s expression would tighten whenever Eliza would call and she’d have Kara take it and say she was in the shower. They had never gotten a chance to fix everything, but Kara thought that they would have if they’d had time. “I’m...sorry. I know I make it worse...” She brought her drink up to her mouth again. She might as well find some relief. 

 

Cat snorted, “No. While I might take this out on you because I  _ can _ , it’s been like this for the past six months or so since he took up social media. I keep trying to bridge the gap, but he’s going to get himself killed. He thinks it’s some sort of romantic game where he’s cast himself as the hero, but he’s only thirteen and I’m going to lose him.” The tears fell faster down Cat’s face. 

 

Kara paused for a moment before setting her drink down and getting her a tissue, debating for a moment before going as far as to gently blot Cat’s face. “He’ll be okay. I...I don’t think they take kids. I...there were other people where I was kept that weren’t aliens or anything. I didn’t see any kids. I think they were careful about stuff that could be bad publicity.” She took a few shuddering breaths as she remembered. “One of the guards hit me in the face once and gave me a black eye. General Lane’s daughter came in and told him it wasn’t allowed in case photos got leaked because it wouldn’t look good if...um...they hurt someone who looked like me.” 

 

Cat sighed and snatched the tissue to wipe her own eyes, “That’s horrific, but mildly comforting…thank you. ” 

 

Cat was quiet and Kara picked her drink back up, wanting to settle her nerves. It was always worse when she thought too much about her captivity. It was better to keep that pushed away. They sat together sipping their drinks. 

 

Cat was the one to break the silence, “You know I don’t necessarily agree with what they did. Just because I can’t print it on the front page of  _ The Trib _ doesn’t mean…” 

 

Kara cut her off, “I know. I...I’m glad that I’m here—with you I mean.” She wet her lips, tasting the alcohol on them. She didn’t want Cat to go too far and say something treasonous while she was drunk. “I don’t want to go. I...it feels safer when I’m with you. You’re kind in your own way.”

 

Cat sighed, “You’re an idiot. Kind is not an adjective anyone would ever use to describe me.” She finished her drink and swayed as she stood up. “But you’re an idiot who belongs to me and I don’t plan on giving you up easily. Who else could I get to stay my assistant for longer than a few days?” There was a ghost of a grin on her lips. 

 

Kara finished her drink as well, wincing as she swallowed the larger amount. “I...thank you, Miss Grant.” She moved behind the other woman and put a hand on the small of Cat’s back as she left the study because she was wobbling back and forth as she walked towards the door. Cat felt warm and she didn’t tell her to let go, which made Kara feel useful and like she could protect Cat in some small way. Kara walked with her as far as the other woman’s room and she stopped. “Is it...can I sleep out here like I did last night?” She looked down at her feet.  

 

Cat sighed, “No. Carter will be too much to deal with if he finds you sleeping on the hall floor tomorrow.” She looked torn before sighing. “There’s a cushion under my bed. It’s probably dusty. Carter used to sleep next to my bed when he had nightmares. You could…” She trailed off. 

 

Kara nodded, wanting to accept before Cat thought better of it. “That would be perfect. I...the closer I am to you, the further I am from them.”

 

Cat didn’t comment on whether that made sense or not, she merely shrugged and went into her room. She headed for the bathroom and Kara pulled out the cushion, using the blanket and pillow from before to make up her bed. She went quickly to the kitchen to get Cat a bottle of water and cracked the seal before putting it on her nightstand. She knew from Alex that it might help save her some pain later. She was laying down with her eyes closed by the time Cat got back. The ‘cushion’ was more like a twin size memory foam mattress and it felt like she was laying down on a cloud. Cat closed the door almost all the way before drinking half of the water and getting into bed. 

 

Kara felt more relaxed from the alcohol, but it was still a little hard to completely let go in the new space. She was in Miss Grant’s bedroom and that was different than being on the outside looking in. She tried to be as quiet as possible as she left herself drift. Before everything faded to blackness she could have sworn she heard Cat mutter something about ‘stupid kryptonian puppies’. 

  
  
  



	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Grants and Kara try and settle into their new arrangement, but things between Cat and Carter are still tense.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A HUGE thank you to spaceshipsarecool for helping me to make this chapter better. She's amazing and really helps to elevate things to another level. She's awesome. A big thank you to abcooper for a first read and feedback on some things as well and to the sin bin for all the encouragement :D 
> 
> PS: The premiere was amazing. I'm so glad that the show is back :D

Kara woke up to a sliver of sun falling across her face from a crack in the drapes. She opened her eyes slowly, remembering where she was. A part of her couldn’t believe that Cat let her stay in here last night. It was kind, in spite of what the woman seemed to think about herself. It wasn’t normal to let an alien sleep next to your bed because she was having bad dreams. It made her feel warm and more comfortable than she had in years. Cat wasn’t willing to give her up and was probably powerful enough to stop anything bad happening. 

 

She turned over and faced the bed. To her slight surprise, Cat was still sleeping. She looked peaceful tucked into her bed with one leg tossed out from underneath the fluffy blanket on top. Her head was curled into a small mountain of pillows and Kara wished that she could draw her to capture the moment somehow. There was single strand of hair falling across her face and Kara didn’t know why she wanted so very much to smooth it away.

 

Cat began to stir and Kara closed her eyes and pretended to still be asleep. She didn’t want to be caught watching again. Cat shifted in bed a few times before sitting up with a low groan and walking heavily towards the master bath. As she got to the door, she turned to Kara with a smirk, “Make sure you put the bed back and linens up before you go.”

 

Kara’s face flushed and she opened her eyes sheepishly sitting up, “Of course, Miss Grant. And um...good morning.” She pulled the blanket a little closer to her. 

 

Cat rolled her eyes, “It would be a better morning if jackhammers weren’t rattling around inside my head, but I’ll take it.” 

 

“I can go make coffee, if you’d like?” Kara bit her lip, hoping she could do a small thing. 

 

“Sure. You know how I like it by now, at any rate.” She shrugged and turned into the bathroom. 

 

Kara popped out of bed and folded the linens to her makeshift bed before scooting it back under Cat’s king sized bed. Kara could hear the shower turn on, but she didn’t scurry away this time. It was different when the intimacy wasn’t stolen. Cat trusted her to be this close while she was naked only a few feet away. Kara was pretty sure she didn’t even hear the door lock. It made her feel like she belonged. She hoped that the arrangement could continue. 

 

She was thinking about Cat as she walked out of the room impacting directly into Carter. “Oh my gosh, I’m so sorry! Are you alright?” 

 

Carter rolled his eyes, a spitting image of his mother a few moments ago, “We barely hit each other. It’s cool.” He looked at her for a moment before the blood drained from his face and his eyes widened. 

 

He stood there staring and Kara looked herself over and finger combed her hair, “Do I have like really freaky bedhead or something?” She probed, knowing that probably wasn’t the case but having no idea what was making Carter react this way. 

 

Carter took a deep breath and stepped forward, pulling her into a hug, “I’m so so sorry. I didn’t know. I didn’t think she would… I mean… I know she tries to stop my blogging, but I didn’t think she would…We talked about consent like 50 times, I… ” He pulled back and set his jaw, “I won’t let her hurt you like that again. I promise.” 

 

Kara cocked her head to the side, her eyes widening as she realized what Carter was implying. She couldn’t let him think that about Cat. “Carter. No, buddy. It was nothing like that; I just have trouble sleeping. I get scared when I’m alone and your mom was really nice and let me sleep on the floor next to her bed.” 

 

He shook his head, “You don’t have to lie to me, Kara. I know it’s not your fault or anything like that.” He looked down at his shoes. “I should have realized earlier because you’re her type for girls, she told me when I told her I might be having feelings for a boy in my class that she liked girls sometimes too when they had blue eyes and your eyes are like...super blue.” 

 

“I’m not lying. I promise.” She put her hands up in a placating gesture. “Your mom isn’t like that. I thought I was going to have to, but one of the first things that she said when I came here was that I didn’t and she just wanted me to be her personal assistant.” Kara scratched the back of her neck. “She uh...also said that wasn’t something she needed to pay for.” She hoped the last bit was a Cat enough statement that Carter would realize it’s veracity. She couldn’t bear to be the one to put that new layer of distance between the pair. 

 

“That does sound like mom.” He looked Kara over trying to detect a lie. “Mom really let you sleep on my good dreams bed so you wouldn’t have nightmares?” 

 

Kara’s shoulders relaxed and she smiled softly at the name Carter gave the bed that she slept on, “She really did and it helped a lot.” Kara heard the water turn off. “We should move this into the kitchen. I offered to make your mom coffee.” 

 

“You shouldn’t have to do that stuff.” He kicked at the floor before walking towards the kitchen. 

 

“I offered as a thank you for letting me stay in her room last night. She didn’t have to. Most people wouldn’t have.” Kara examined the machine, trying to figure out how all the levers worked. 

 

Carter took pity on her and started to get things set up, talking as he did so. “It’s not like you can hurt her with that on.” He took a moment to gesture to the collar around her neck. 

 

“I...could. I never would, but I could pick up something sharp.” She got quieter, remembering being kicked by guards. “You don’t have to have abilities to hurt someone.” 

 

Carter shrugged, “I guess not. It’s still not right.” He stepped back for a moment, letting the machine work. “It’s slavery. You HAVE to do what Mom says, even if you don’t want to.”

 

Kara looked down, “I know it’s not ‘right’, but I’m not allowed to be free and your mom...she’s been kind to me. I…” She busied herself for a moment getting a coffee mug, “I was hoping I’d go somewhere I could die fast without having to kill myself. You...you don’t get to go be in Rao’s light if you do that and I want to see my family again one day.” She couldn’t look at Carter as she spoke, keeping herself overly immersed in getting everything out for Cat’s coffee. “I...it’s not that I wanted to die, but I was scared of how bad things would be. I...the soldiers at the facility taunted me with it, but when I got here your mom just wanted me to do assistant stuff which is kind of what I used to do before.” 

 

“She could just ask you instead of telling. Slavery is wrong and that’s what this is. Mom even double covered it when we learned about the civil war so she knew my teachers didn’t gloss over it.” He put some milk under the steamer part of the machine. 

 

She took a breath and looked up at Carter. He wasn’t wrong, but she couldn’t think like that. She wasn’t a human being so she didn’t have the rights of one. Dwelling on it would just remind her of what she’d lost. “I want to stay here, Carter. Right or wrong, I don’t want to go. I’m not afraid of your mom. She hasn’t hurt me or even been very mean beyond some creative insults at CatCo that I think are universal to members of her staff.” 

 

The milk finished and Kara stepped into assemble the drink. “I’m terrified of being taken away and I’m terrified of being too much of a bother and being sent away, even though your mom has told me that wouldn’t happen.” She finished the drink. She had a tendency to get in trouble or need a lot of support and it was hard to imagine that it wouldn’t become too much. 

 

She expected an answer from Carter, but heard Cat’s voice from behind her instead, “Apparently Kryptonian skulls are particularly thick when it comes to taking in and accepting information given to them.” She reached out for her coffee and took a sip, making a little pleased moan when it was to her specifications. “Though skilled at making coffee...with a bit of help.” She gave Carter a tentative smile, the hesitant nature of the grin a bit at odds with her easy teasing. 

 

“She needed it. Saturday is fancy coffee day.” He crossed his arms and took a step back towards Kara. If Carter remembered it was a day his mother liked to indulge in nicer coffee, then Kara hoped he might not be so disagreeable to spending more time with his mom today. It was clear to Kara that they both needed it. 

 

“Well thank you anyways.” She took another sip. “Is there something that you wanted to do today, Carter? I...cleared the time.” She spoke overly casually, keeping her tone measured and light. 

 

“I’m going to introduce Kara to Star Wars miniatures and then we’re going to work on some Lego. Maybe some other board games to round things out. ” He smiled at Kara as he planned their day for them. 

 

“Well then, I guess I’ll leave you to it.” Cat’s eyes flashed with disappointment before she schooled them as she took her drink and headed towards her office.

 

Kara turned to Carter once she heard the office door close, “I know you’re mad, but you don’t have to shut her out like that. I...I was your age when my mother sent me here because my planet was about to explode. I’d give anything to have another day with her.” She had a million questions, but the thing she wanted most was for her mother to wrap her in her arms and tell her everything was going to be okay. 

 

“She won’t listen and I’m tired of her not taking me seriously. I’m not just going to pretend like everything's okay when it’s not.” He shook his head. 

 

Kara sighed and looked through the cupboard for her breakfast supplies, “She might be more likely to listen if you started small and talked to her about it. Maybe over a game later. People don’t tend to hear you when you yell, just when you really listen and talk things over.” 

 

Carter looked skeptical, “Maybe.” He pulled some things out of the cupboards. “But pancakes first. I can measure and you can stir the stuff together. I’m good at pouring the pancakes in the pan, but not as good with flipping.”

 

Kara nodded, “Pancakes it is.” 

 

They worked together to make the pancakes, dropping the serious topics from earlier and going back to simple teasing and laughing when one of them got pancake mix on their face. Kara set aside a few pancakes for Cat and brought them into her. Cat didn’t really acknowledge the gesture, but Kara was still glad she made it. 

 

Star Wars miniatures was a strange and complicated game, but Kara liked it. They built some with Lego bricks and Kara enjoyed the medium. Carter had enough pieces that she could approximate a bit of Kryptonian architecture, sharing some of her home with him as he worked on a spaceship that could dock next to the spire she was creating. She labeled the rooms of the building in her mind: her family's apartment, her best friend Nira’s place, the central hall where the cooks would prepare food for them at meal times, and she fudged it a little and made rooms for her aunt Astra who she always wished was closer. 

 

“So this is where you lived?” Carter looked at the structure, moving around it to see it at different angles. 

 

“Yes. This is where my family lived in Argos City. Well. Sort of. I couldn’t quite do all the apartments and such to scale. It would be taller than me.” She gave a half grin. If she could fly or use her superspeed it would be a simple thing, but not like this. 

 

“Did Kal-El live with you there?” He fiddled with the satellite dish on his ship that he hadn’t put down yet.

 

“No. They lived in another city. I got to see him a fair amount though. He was just a baby then and I watched him a few times while our parents were at council meetings.” She swallowed. It was harder to talk about him when they were talking about his smaller version. A part of her saw him as a child even though he was so much older. 

 

“You’re older than Superman?” He sounded incredulous. 

 

“Yep. By 12 years in fact. I uh...I left after him by about a minute. It was enough that the shockwave of the planet exploding threw me off course and into a part of space known as the Phantom Zone. I slept for about 24 years for the most part. It was a strange place. Lonely.” She looked out the window. It was still lonely. “I was supposed to look after him, but I arrived too late.” 

 

She heard Carter take a breath, but Cat’s voice interjected. “Lunch time.” It sounded a bit thick. She was probably still upset about how Carter had acted this morning. Kara wondered for a moment how much of the story Cat had heard. 

 

Carter stood up and walked past his mother towards the dining area while Cat lingered for a moment, allowing Kara to pass in front of her. Kara felt the faintest hint of pressure at her back. It was almost certainly accidental, but the thought that it might not be filled her with warmth. 

 

Lunch was more stilted with Cat being at the table and Carter trying to speed eat. Kara kept trying to catch Cat’s eye, but Cat was focused on Carter. The meal was over almost before Kara could realize it.  

 

The afternoon was passed in similar fashion to the morning, with a lot of playing games and chatting. Dinner was a pot roast and Kara made sure to slow herself down this time, so Carter wouldn’t have a reason to speed on ahead. She really wanted to do something with Cat this evening, but Carter didn’t say anything and the moment passed again. Kara was starting to feel frustrated with the state of things, but it was hard to figure out how to interject. It wasn’t like she was a family member or even a friend really. She was just...there.  

 

Kara felt a bit subdued as she let Carter show her his comics collection after dinner. She learned more than she ever thought there was to know about a variety of superheroes. She didn’t have the heart to tell him that it wasn’t quite the same when you used to have powers that could outstrip almost all of the characters in the stories. 

 

When it was time for Carter to go to bed, she was a little relieved that she didn’t have to be talking anymore. As much as she liked the quiet, however, she still hated being alone and she quietly slipped into Cat’s office with the comic anthology that she had promised Carter she’d try and get through. She sat along the wall of the far side of the office so as not to disturb Cat. The woman didn’t say anything as she worked and drank, but it was nice enough to be on the periphery of Cat’s world. She gave up on the comic and watched Cat more than she read. As interesting as she found the media mogul, she nodded off after a few hours and woke in the early morning with Cat tapping her awake. “Bed time.” 

 

Kara stretched and stood up, hesitating in the hall until Cat rolled her eyes and gestured for her to join her in Cat’s room. “Honestly, if I don’t ask you in I’m liable to trip over you when I wake up in the morning and then I could break something and wouldn’t be able to run CatCo for at least a few days. Do you know what showing any kind of weakness does to a companies stock prices? It’s not pretty.”

 

Kara frowned as she nodded and started to shuffle into the room. “That would be bad…”

 

“Besides. I can’t understand how you can sleep on the floor like that anyway. I need you in top condition. For work.” Her voice was softer as she said the last part and Kara perked up as she could tell it was just Cat being...well...Cat. They didn’t have to go into the office on Sunday so there was no real reason.

 

“Your floors are softer than what I was used to.” Perforated steel was much harder than plush carpets.  

 

Cat’s eyes flashed with concern for a moment, “My point stands.” She left the door cracked behind them and went towards the bathroom and dressing area. 

 

Kara felt good as she tucked herself into the mattress on the floor. Her eyes drifted shut again and the next thing she heard was the water running for Cat’s shower. She frowned as it was still quite early. Cat couldn’t have gotten much more than two hours of sleep. Today, Kara resolved, would be different. The two Grants needed to talk and she would try and make that happen. 

 

Kara worked on Carter a few times throughout the day as she helped him with a science project, but it wasn’t until they all sat down for dinner that Kara saw her chance. Carter was silent as he ate, so Kara steeled her courage for several minutes as she rehearsed what she wanted to say to get a game with all three of them. She took a bite of potatoes and swallowed, “Carter and I were talking about playing a videogame after dinner. He claimed that Pikachu was not a viable character in Smash Brothers and I disagreed...I mean…very politely.” Her eyes cut over to Carter pleading for him to make an overture. 

 

He sighed and looked at his plate as he talked, “It might be okay if there were three players… for the game.” 

 

It was barely an invitation—was it even an invitation? But she glanced at Cat hopefully. 

 

Cat for her part looked a little surprised, but she nodded as she spoke flippantly, “I suppose that I got a lot of work done this afternoon and could take a few minutes to assist.” 

 

It was a start and Kara smiled, “Awesome. I mean. Thank you. I mean. I’m going to stop talking now.” A smaller smile stayed on her face. It was so much harder talking when both of them were present. It was easier one on one when they were each more relaxed with her. Hopefully tonight might be a bridge towards that.

 

They adjourned from the table together and headed for the game room. The two Grants immediately went for favored remotes while Kara just grabbed one. Carter sat in the middle of the couch and Cat took the seat to his right before Carter moved over away from his mother. The slight flinching of Cat’s eyes did not go unnoticed by Kara, who was forced to take the middle if she wanted to be at a workable angle to play. 

 

Carter switched on the game and they got to the lock screen. Cat chose Samus’s Zero-Suit version, Carter went with Sonic and Kara picked Pikachu. Kara geared up for the game in her mind as they started, but it was almost immediately apparent that the other two players were paying her no mind whatsoever as they went at each other. Kara parked Pikachu on a ledge and let each of them try and knock each other off the platform. This wasn’t exactly what she had in mind for the pair playing a game together, but maybe it would help to ease frustrations. She smirked with an idea. 

 

Kara waited until they were both low before hopping down and attacking the two of them. They were close to KO and she was very fast, even without her super reflexes, as Alex had banned her from using them early on. She KO’d both of them in quick order, hoping very much that this wouldn’t backfire on her massively. 

 

“Unfair! You had like zero damage and we were super high!” Carter crossed his arms. 

 

The tone made her a little nervous, but she persevered. “Then maybe next round you should try and attack me.” If she could get them both focused on her, then maybe they’d realize that they could work as a team. Kara let her eyes drift over to Cat, who shot her a knowing look. Kara relaxed, hoping this meant that she was doing the right thing. 

 

“I suppose your...Pikachu...might be a greater threat than originally accounted for, which wasn’t much as you’re playing a yellow rat.” She let her voice drip with disdain at the character. 

 

Kara understood the play, but resolved to try and knock Cat down as much as she could because a Pikachu stuffed animal was one of the first things she bought with the allowance she earned doing chores when she came to Earth. It took a long time to save up as she kept breaking things and tried to replace them before anyone would notice. The electric mouse reminded her of an animal from home and then she watched the show and loved it all the more. 

 

They started again and things played out differently this time. Both Cat and Carter focused on her a little more than each other, even pulling off a few bits of teamwork to shut her down. Kara gave as good as she got and soon they were all relatively low. Kara turned her attention more towards Cat and tried not to grin too much as she knocked her off the stage, though the glee was short lived as Carter knocked her off a moment later with a loud whoop. His face was full of joy and Kara looked over at Cat for a moment. Her mouth was turned up in a smile, but her eyes kept flicking to Carter and away as though she expected it to be pulled away again. 

 

“Do you want to play again?” Cat asked, her voice artificially light. 

 

“Whatever.” Carter shrugged, but turned the game back on. 

 

They played a few more rounds. Carter took the lead in the win count with Cat and Kara trailing him with three games each. It was getting late for Carter with Cat either not noticing or ignoring his bedtime to let them play a for longer. Finally Carter yawned and Cat set down her controller. 

 

“It really is time for bed.” Cat spoke softly. 

 

Carter nodded as he got up and turned the system off. He turned to his mother, balling one fist and then releasing it. “I’m still mad at you.” 

 

Kara frowned for a moment before shooting the boy a pleading look. Things had been going so well and she wanted things to be less tense if only for a little while. 

 

He took a deep breath and then released it. “I...Kara said that if I keep yelling and not talking that it makes it impossible to show you that you’re wrong. So I want to try and talk to you.” He sped up his next words. “But you have to listen to me and stuff. You can’t just do that thing where you use your smart voice and tell me I’m wrong.” 

 

Kara pushed herself back into the padding of the couch. The two Grants arguing brought into focus how precarious her situation was. She wanted them to talk and be happy, but she didn’t want any of this to rebound back on her. She didn’t have that much, but it was a lot to potentially lose. 

 

Cat took a few measured breaths, “I can agree to that if YOU can agree to listen to what I have to say. It can’t just be one sided with you giving me a list of demands and hoops to jump through so I can have my son back. I wouldn’t be your mother then.” She shook her head. 

 

“Fine. We can try. I’m not going to be all fake nice though.” He walked towards the door. 

 

“I know. You’re my son, I wouldn’t expect otherwise. Goodnight Carter.” She gave a sad sort of half smile. 

 

He waved and then looked over at Kara, “Night Kara. You were pretty good.” 

 

“Thanks Carter. You were too. Sleep well.” She gave her own more enthusiastic wave as he headed off to bed leaving her alone with Cat. She was glad that was over and hopeful that maybe they could communicate better. 

 

Cat looked over at Kara inscrutably for a long moment and Kara pulled her legs underneath herself, wondering if she’d overstepped or done something wrong. Kara looked away from Cat, but her eyes would dart back every few seconds to see if the woman was still staring at her. Cat finally stopped, got up and walked to the door. “Thank you.” Her words were soft and she didn’t wait for a reply before heading off to her office and shutting the door. 

 

Kara blinked a few times in surprise before she got up and went through her nightly routine. She looked at the bed in her room, but it was so much less appealing than the one in Cat’s. She guessed that things were going fairly well and even though she had spent the day with the Grant family, she still didn’t want to be alone. A part of her had hoped tonight would be different after spending more time getting more comfortable in the apartment, but the fear wouldn’t abate. 

 

Kara walked to Cat’s office and stared at the close door for a few moments before taking a measured risk and knocking lightly.

 

“You can come in, Kiera.” Cat called from the other side of the door. 

 

Kara opened the door before closing it behind herself. “Thank you.” She debated taking a seat on the ground, but Cat moved over slightly so Kara took the seat next to her on the couch. “I… the room you gave me is very nice! I just…“

 

“Don’t want to be so far away from the rest of us.” Cat nodded. 

 

“Yeah.” Kara brought her legs up in front of her and wrapped her arms around them, resting her head on her legs while Cat did whatever important things she was doing on her tablet. 

 

Eventually Cat looked over and asked, “Would you like a drink?” 

 

Kara cocked her head to the side. Whatever was happening, that wasn’t what she expected. She thought Cat would ignore her again—especially after the incident with Carter. “Sure.” Drinking so far had meant talking a little more like equals and that was something that Kara craved. 

 

Cat poured both of them a generous portion of amber liquid and Kara took hers, “Thank you.” She brought it to her lips and sipped carefully. Cat drained a portion of hers. 

 

“I enjoyed tonight. You…didn’t have to do that. It isn’t required of you.” Cat took another sip. 

 

“I didn’t do anything. Not really. I…You two are a family and family is important.” She wasn’t sure that was the only reason or even the most prevalent. She knew the rift was making Carter sad and it was tearing Cat up inside. She wanted her to be happy, which was a little insane considering their situation. All of her emotions were swirly whenever she dropped her guard, but that much was true.

 

“I suppose that you’re correct. Still. You remind me of a friend I had once. It’s that same sort of...sentimentality.” She drained the rest of her glass and poured herself another. 

  
“I…thank you?” Kara sat in silence for a minute, nursing her drink. She shouldn’t ask, but at the same time she wanted to know more. “What…what happened to your friend?”  

 

“Metropolis.” Cat answered with a raw snort. “It all comes back to that, doesn’t it?” 

 

“It always seems to.” She looked down and forced a large gulp of her drink down. Cat wordlessly refilled her glass. She was grateful for the feeling of warmth. She couldn’t understand why Cat was acting the way she was when she was so affected by the tragedy. She worked on her drink more slowly. It made her feel warm and sleepy and a little looser, her mouth moving before her brain caught up with her. “Why don’t you hate me? You don’t, right? It...it doesn’t feel like you do. I just…anyone else in your position would, but you…” She couldn’t quite articulate what she meant. Cat didn’t like her mentioning the kindness, but Cat WAS kind to her. More than kind. She was caring and Kara didn’t know why.

 

“I don’t hate you, obviously. That’s incredibly expensive scotch that you’re drinking.” She sighed and rested her glass against her face. “I don’t blame you for what happened. You were a child about Carter’s age if I’m not mistaken. Your blood won’t wash theirs clean.” 

 

Kara got the sense that Cat was holding back as the woman refused to make eye contact, “But...why am I here? There’s a big step from not blaming me to letting me stay here.”

 

“I didn’t let you stay here. I required it because I bought you as a sort of pet.” She took a drink and then sat her glass down on the coffee table. “You don’t have to question it. That’s not what you’re here for.” 

 

Kara’s shoulders dropped, “I’m sorry.” She overstepped when she shouldn’t have. She’d have to do better remembering her place. “I should probably go back to my room.” Her voice was strained. She sat her glass down and moved to get up, but Cat’s hand reached out and wrapped around her wrist, stalling her. 

 

“You can stay.” She left her hand as Kara settled back down, confused. “That was overly harsh. Carter aside, I’m not used to answering questions like that.” She used her free hand to pick her drink back up. Her voice wavered slightly as she spoke. “You have the same eyes as my friend. I knew that there were unscrupulous parties like Maxwell Lord bidding to take possession of you. Contrary to Carter’s belief, I saw the video in question before he and his internet friends did and I didn’t want that fate for you. I didn’t want to see the light leave your eyes. It would have been too much of a reminder.” 

 

“Oh.” She put her hand over the one that Cat had on her. “I’m… sorry you had to see that. I know what it’s like to watch someone you care about...leave.” She looked into Cat’s eyes trying to project that she did understand and that she was there for her.  

 

“I know you do.” Cat didn’t pull her hand away and Kara didn’t relinquish it for long moments. 

 

Kara picked her drink back up and they sat in a comfortable silence with their scotch. Kara finished her second and found it hard to keep her eyes open. She wasn’t sure when she nodded off, but she woke up awhile later feeling Cat’s hands running absentmindedly through her hair. Her head had wound up in Cat’s lap and she shifted at some point so she was mostly on her back with her face turned towards Cat’s body. It was a lot better position than being on the floor across the room. She felt an incredible sense of safety and her lips tipped up in a sleepy smile. She opened her eyes and looked up to find green eyes looking down at her with an expression she’d never see before. It was warm, but more. It was gone before she was able to examine it further. 

 

“We should get to bed.” Cat spoke softly. 

 

Kara stretched and nodded, “How long was I out?” She sat up reluctantly, missing the feeling of being encased in warmth. 

 

“Not that long. Less than an hour.” Cat stood up and waited for Kara to make her way to her feet as well. 

 

“Good. I know you need sleep too.” Kara yawned as they walked down the hall to Cat’s room. It was earlier than the night before and she wanted Cat to get a real night's rest before work in the morning. 

 

The left side of Cat’s mouth lifted in a half grin, “I suppose I AM only human after all. Top of the tier list, of course, but still.” 

 

Kara smiled widely in response and went about making up her bed as they got into the room. They were both tucked into their beds in short order and Kara felt comfortable and warm, though she felt a slight pang as she started to drift off. If having her head in Cat’s lap felt so good, she wondered what being held by her might feel like. 

  
  



	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Cat goes to a gala and Kara doesn't care for her date. Later, a trip to the science museum proves difficult.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A huge thank you to spaceshipsarecool for many many edits and abcooper for edits and giving it a first read to make sure I'm on track. Thank you to the sin bin for inspiring me and keeping me on track with this and basically all the fandom things <3

Kara tapped her pen on the corner of her desk at Catco, lost in thought. Work brought a certain sort of routine to her days. She and Cat said goodbye to Carter in the morning and then worked until a later dinner time. After dinner the three of them would play a game of some kind while Cat and Carter sniped unproductively at each other. It was a step up from the freeze out, but it was a far cry from what she been hoping for when they agreed to talk. Both of them thought they were right and Kara didn’t feel confident in mediating a peace in the middle. 

 

Carter was easier to understand than Cat. He straightforwardly believed that aliens should be given citizenship and all rights contained therein. Cat was more complex and Kara thought she might be lying to Carter somewhat about her positions. She couldn’t figure out why the older woman would do that at the expense of her relationship with her son. She seemed to be giving Carter her public opinions rather than her private ones. In private, Cat was kind to her. 

 

Kara had slept in Cat’s room every night so far this week. It became expected, rather than something she had to hope for. After Carter went to bed, she’d meet Cat in her office. Sometimes they’d talk and sometimes Cat would be working late into the evening without time to say much at all. It was her favorite part of the day.

 

Three out of the last four nights, she’d fallen asleep before Cat decided to turn in. She liked it best when she woke up cuddled up next to the other woman on the couch. She didn’t know why Cat didn’t shove her away, but she wasn’t about to complain. Sometimes Cat would rest her hand against her or run soft fingers over parts of her body. It was dishonest, but whenever the gentle touches woke her she’d keep her eyes shut and breathing even to draw it out as long as possible. She wasn’t sure if she was able to keep the slight upturn of her lips at bay, though Cat either didn’t notice or didn’t care that she was enjoying it so much. 

 

It felt good to be touched softly and somehow it meant more when Cat was the one doing the touching. Carter was free with his affection and hugged her goodnight tightly, but it didn’t fill her with a sense of warmth and rightness the way that it did when Cat would put her hands through her hair or along the soft fabric of her pajamas. Kara thought with Carter that she would get enough contact, but she didn’t. Cat didn’t hug her or do much beyond the occasional hand on her knee or wrist while she was awake, but she craved it. 

 

Kara was pulled from her thoughts as the woman in question breezed up to her desk, “So. You know what the plan is for tonight?”

 

“Yes? We’ve been over it a dozen times. We go home and you get ready for the gala while I help Carter with his homework. Carter and I stay home for the evening while you go out and you’ll try and be home before midnight.” Kara recited the plan. 

 

“And.” Cat said clipping the word short. 

 

“And I make sure to take my work cell home so I can get into contact with you for any reason at all, even if I’m not sure if it’s an issue or if he just sneezes more than twice in a row.” She finished the set of instructions. It was a big deal for her to be left alone and sort of in charge of Carter. That part wasn’t so clear. It felt to Kara that it was more of a situation where she made sure Carter was following his mother’s rules and rat him out over the phone if he wasn’t, rather than being a disciplinarian in her own right. She wanted it to go well.

 

“Good. I know he’s getting older, but I feel better if he has someone staying with him rather than leaving him to his own devices. Especially since I wouldn’t put it past him to be able to break into the safe where his devices are currently being held.” She gave a wry grin as though she was a little bit proud of that fact. 

 

Kara chuckled. “I think he would definitely try if the XBox debacle was any indication.”

 

Cat shook her head, “He could do with learning some subtlety. He kicked his alien ‘BFF’ out of the media room. It was blatantly obvious that he’s be trying to talk with someone.”   

 

“And the further indignity of losing so much at Street Fighter on the Super Nintendo that I’m not sure he was aware he owned.” She smirked. 

 

“He knew. He went through a ‘retro games are more pure’ kick about two years ago. It didn’t last long when he realized the old ones didn’t have things like a save function half the time.” Cat smiled softly before she caught herself and looked around the office. “Yes well. We will be leaving promptly in 15mins. Be ready to go at that time.” She turned on her heels and stalked off.   

 

Things like that had been happening more. Cat would forget herself outside her home office for just a moment and usually over something to do with Carter. She wondered if Cat was just happy to have someone to share Carter’s stories with. Cat hadn’t said much about her ex, but Carter gave her the impression that they weren’t on the best of terms. 

 

Kara gathered her things, sparing a glance to look over at Cat finishing a few last minute tasks. It was hard for her to imagine someone wanting to leave her. Cat reminded her of some of the female council leaders back home—almost cold, but smart and likely to silently palm you sweets when you were feeling sad. 

 

She waited by the door to the office for Cat’s signal. It wasn’t a long wait and soon she was holding Cat’s things and rushing back to the penthouse. Cat’s hair and makeup team were there, whisking her away to the master bathroom to add an extra layer of glamour to her already flawless visage. 

 

She settled down in the living room next to the coffee table to help Carter with his summer homework. He didn’t need a ton of help, but he was science minded and always had more advanced questions than the books would cover. It was easy for Kara to indulge his curiosity between her degree on earth and how much she knew from Krypton. 

  
  


Cat came out wearing only a white robe to see her helpers out. Her eyes were done up dramatically and her lips were a deeper shade than Kara had seen at the office. “Do you need anything Carter? I just want to make sure before I go…” 

 

Carter shook his head, “We’re good. Kara is helping with a chromosomes project.” 

 

“That sounds interesting. Maybe you could explain it to me tomorrow sometime?” She asked. They’d been talking more, but Cat tried to push just a little bit more. 

 

He shrugged. “I doubt you’d be interested.” 

 

“I can judge my own interests.” Cat tossed back. 

 

“O-kay, but don’t complain when you get bored face.” He turned back to his paper. 

 

“I won’t.” Cat stalked off to her room. 

 

A few minutes later, Cat called from her bedroom. “Kara, come help me zip the back of this contraption. Cat Grant flashes National City is not a headline that I want to see in tomorrow’s gossip pages.” 

 

Kara got up and walked into Cat’s room. She was greeted by the sight of Cat’s back and it took her a second before she was able to walk into the room. Cat’s skin looked so soft and something more that made her want to reach out for it. 

 

“Ah there you are. Now zip me up and make sure not to catch the fabric of the dress in the zipper. This is Armani. It won’t do to put a run in the fabric.” She waited as Kara moved forward. 

 

Kara’s fingers trembled and it took a second for her to start moving the zipper up the expanse of skin. Her fingertips ghosted along the soft plane of Cat’s neck as she made it to the top. Those fingers felt hotter than the rest of her body. She swallowed and coughed as she forced herself to take a step back. “There you go, Miss Grant.” Cat turned around and Kara blinked a few times. Cat usually looked beautiful and put together, but like this she looked every bit the star that she was. “You look...very nice.” 

 

Cat rolled her eyes, “I suppose looking ‘nice’ to the alien contingent is something.” She moved past Kara and out of the room. Kara followed. Cat grabbed a matching bag and tucked a few items into it. “Alright Carter. Remember to get to bed at a reasonable time.” 

 

He waved her off, “I know. I’ll be good. Is that guy taking you?” The question sounded as though Carter found the prospect distasteful. 

 

“Yes, Peter is escorting me. It’s just for special events.” She sighed. 

 

“He’s weird. His eyebrows look like caterpillars and the time I met him he kept calling me ‘sport’.” He shuddered. 

 

“Well, that’s why I meet him downstairs. It’s an arrangement, nothing more.” Cat’s phone went off and she walked towards the door. “Goodbye, dear. I should be back around midnight. Call me for any reason, alright?” 

 

“Okay, Mom. I think you could do better though. You’re like...pretty and stuff.” Carter shrugged before he waved  and Kara followed his lead. 

 

Cat’s gave a slight smile, “I suppose that’s a compliment of a sort, so I’ll take it.”

 

“I hope you have a nice evening, Miss Grant.” Kara added as Cat walked away. 

 

Cat opened the door and disappeared to go to the Gala with...Peter. Kara frowned. She didn’t like the idea of Cat hanging out with a weird bushy-browed man. As Carter said, she...deserved better than that—someone who really appreciated her. She sighed and turned back to Carter. It was none of her business really. She glanced to the door again and wished that Cat would be home early.  

 

After sending Carter off to bed a few hours later, it became apparent that she would not get her wish of Cat coming home in time to say goodnight to her son. The penthouse was eerily quiet with Carter in bed and Cat gone. Kara tried to go to bed in her own room and then on the floor in Cat’s, but the mattress next to Cat’s bed wasn’t nearly as cozy when she was alone in the room. 

 

Eventually she settled in on a sofa in the living room with a blanket wrapped around her. She’d know the moment Cat came home. After a half an hour or so, Kara drifted off. She woke up suddenly to the sound of hushed voices on the other side of the closed front door, one of them male. She instinctively jumped over the back of the couch and hid behind it, looking out at the door from a gap between the sofa and the end table. 

 

The door opened and Kara saw Cat with a man, who seemed relatively handsome minus the eyebrows that Carter had mentioned earlier.

 

“Come on, Cat. We haven’t done this in an age. I could slip in and be gone before the kid wakes up.” He pleaded. 

 

“No.” Cat said, making her vowels soft as she put a hand up to his chest. “As...entertaining as that can be once in awhile, I will not have my son walking in on us. We have enough going on between us right now.” 

 

“Teenagers rebel, but they get over it. He’s old enough to understand that you have a social life.” He tried once more. 

 

“Yes. And he’s also old enough to not buy the sleepover excuse. Goodbye Peter, and thanks for a slightly less dull evening.” She took a step back. 

 

Peter sighed, “Goodnight, Cat.” He took a step forward and kissed her once before leaving. 

 

Kara loathed him. She wasn’t sure exactly why, but she immediately took a dislike to the man the moment she became aware of his existence. He was pushy and Carter had been right about the eyebrows. The rest of his face was fine, but those were like caterpillars. A part of her realized that she might be being overly harsh but she didn’t care.

 

She was so caught up in her thoughts that she didn’t notice Cat coming around the couch. 

 

“Jesus, Kara!” Cat startled, looking down at Kara in confusion. “What in the world are you doing behind the sofa?!” 

 

Kara looked up, her face coloring in embarrassment. “I was um...waiting up for you, but I got startled when I heard a man’s voice and I just sort of reacted?” She scratched her nose, missing the lead lined glasses that she used to wear. 

 

Cat sighed, “Well I suppose that’s understandable. You know you could have gone to bed, right? Even if it wasn’t your own bed.” 

 

Kara’s blush grew even darker, “I tried...it wasn’t the same without you there.”

 

Cat grew quiet for a moment before she held out a hand, “Well come on then and let’s get ready to go to sleep.” 

 

Kara took the hand gratefully and let Cat help steady her as she got to her feet, “Thank you, Miss Grant. Did you have a nice time?” Kara looked at Cat. She was still put together, but her eyeliner was the tiniest bit smudged and her lips were several shades lighter as her lipstick had worn away over the night. Kara liked the look, or at least she liked being allowed to see it. 

 

“It was pretentious and entirely too long, but the charity being benefitted helps provide opportunities to young women in the foster care system and a lot of money was raised.” She walked into her bedroom, kicking off her shoes as soon as she was inside. “I take that as a win, even if I never again want to see another aging businessman who uses Donald Trump’s hairstylist try to throw money at the cause to show how he ‘cares about women and minorities’ like he’s a genius for picking an event that serves as a two for one white savior special.”  

 

Kara chuckled at the image as she headed to ‘her’ bed on the floor, “That sounds unpleasant.” Kara swallowed. “Did your...um...date find it so?” Kara couldn’t tell quite what she was searching for, but she wanted some indication that Cat’s date was awful so she could justify her dislike of the man. 

 

“I think he finds them dull? We don’t talk on that sort of a level. It’s more polite chit chat and helping each other talk to those worth talking to. It’s a lot of avoiding the riff raff reality stars that increasingly get invites to these events combined with an occasional romp afterwards. It’s a fairly perfect arrangement.” She shrugged and flitted into the dressing room before Kara heard a groan. “Ugh. This dress really is impossible. Come unzip me again, Kiera.” 

 

Kara walked into the other room, her mind still thinking about Cat and the arrangement she described. She couldn’t imagine that being all she wanted out of a relationship with someone. She took a breath as Cat turned around so she could work the zipper again. She wanted to ask Cat the question and as she lowered the zipper, revealing the expanse of skin to her view again, the intimacy of the moment spurred her onward. “Is that—what you described I mean—is that what you want from a partner?” 

 

Cat snorted and turned half way back towards Kara, the front of her dress falling away slightly as she helf held it up with one hand, “Peter isn’t a partner. He’s...there. I’m not looking for a partner now. I’ve been down that path more than once and it turns out that it’s not an easy position to fill despite there being willing applicants.” Cat sighed. 

 

Kara could see that she was debating brushing her off or letting them be more for a moment. Kara wanted the latter, so she pushed gently. “Why can’t they fill the position?” She bit her lip. Her heart was beating faster as her eyes darted to the dress that had slid down a few inches. 

 

“They want to date Cat Grant: Queen of All Media. They don’t particularly want to get to know  _ me _ and well...they really don’t have much genuine interest in Carter.” Cat’s eyes softened and she looked, not younger, but more vulnerable than Kara had seen her before. “I’m not so young as to fancy myself a romantic or anything so droll, but I’d want something real if I were to try again.” 

 

Kara stepped forward and put a hand on Cat’s bare shoulder, “You deserve that.” Kara wanted to say more and talk about what a good person Cat was underneath everything and how beautiful she was, especially like this. But those words didn’t come out and the moment passed as Cat cleared her throat. 

 

“Well. You don’t always get the things you deserve and I already have more than most. I mean. Look at this closet.” She gestured to the rows and rows of designer clothes. 

 

“It’s… a very nice closet?” Kara knew the clothes were fancy, but that was never something that meant all that much to her. 

 

Cat rolled her eyes. “Aliens have no taste for fashion.” She turned away from Kara. “I’m going to finish changing. You go on and go to bed.” 

 

“Of course. Goodnight, Miss Grant.” Kara walked out of the dressing area and climbed into her bed. She closed her eyes and tried to drift. It wasn’t so long before she heard Cat climb into bed as well. She went to sleep imagining scenarios about the sort of men who could be real partners for Cat. She sort of embodied them in her fantasies, letting little scenes play out where Cat was swept off her feet. A soft smile graced her lips.

 

\----------

 

Kara leaned back against the headrest of the sofa as Cat and Carter argued. The Colosseum game board sat discarded on the coffee table as the two Grants bickered as though she wasn’t there. It wasn’t unusual, but raised voices never really got any easier for her to listen to. 

 

“Carter, there is a difference between what we believe in private and what we portray in public. I do not understand why that is so hard for you to grasp. You could be brought up on honest to god treason charges!” Cat threw her hands up. 

 

“Yeah. And you used to tell me how awesome it was that protestors in the 60’s used to stay put even though the government would spray them with hoses and how the anti-war riots at colleges brought about the end of the Vietnam war!” Carter crossed his arms, looking fiercely at his mother. 

 

“That was because the public was horrified that they shot children! I know they were technically adults, but they were children shot dead by the national guard in Ohio of all places.” She reached out and put a hand on Carter’s knee. “I don’t want that to be you. It wouldn’t have the result you wanted anyways. They would just bury it where no one would ever see or respond in a way that brings change. They’ve gotten so much smarter since then. The press is not as free as it once was with the new anti-terrorism laws in place.” 

 

“You can’t bury things completely. I don’t want to get hurt, but how will things change if no one stands up?” He looked up at his mother, searching for answers in her eyes. “How can you live with yourself if something happens and you didn’t try and stop it?” 

 

Cat brought her hand up and smoothed Carter’s hair back before Carter pulled his head away with a scowl, “You let adults take care of it and let change come slowly. You aren’t responsible for other people’s actions, Carter.” 

 

“What’s your private opinion then? What do you want to see happen?” He leaned back into Kara a bit. 

 

“I…Do you understand how dangerous it is to answer that question? If you tell one of your online friends that I’m not 100% hardline against aliens, I’ll have an accident in very short order.” She looked at Carter appraisingly. Kara swallowed. She wanted to know the answer to the question, but she understood why it was something that Cat had kept back. You never knew who was listening. 

 

“I’m young; I’m not an idiot. You don’t trust me with anything, but you expect me to just believe you’re right. I don’t. I want to know the truth. Like the real truth.”  He beseeched. 

 

Cat hesitated for a long moment, “The real truth is that I think a crime should be committed before rights are taken away to such an extreme. This…” She reached over Carter to touch Kara’s collar, ”is probably a little excessive since I don’t think Kara has so much as said a curse word during her time on this planet.” Kara swallowed as Cat touched the metal surrounding her neck. It was strangely intimate. She looked at Cat’s face and got the sense that she was lying or omitting something big. Kara wasn’t sure about what, but Cat wasn’t giving her son the complete truth of what she thought. It made Kara feel uneasy and she wondered what Cat actually believed should be done with her or if she was exactly where Cat thought she should be.  

 

Carter didn’t notice, however. He let his brain chew it over for a moment and sighed, “I guess that’s a start.” 

 

“A start is good.” Cat slumped against the back of the couch, some great weight starting to seep from her. 

 

They were quiet for a bit, taking in the slight cease fire. Carter wet his lips, “The last day of the evolutionary biology exhibit at the science museum is next Saturday. Maybe we could go? Kara too.” He tacked on, pushing Cat to give a little more ground. 

 

“I’m not sure that’s a good idea.” She watched Carter’s face fall. “But I suppose just this once we can figure something out.” 

 

Carter perked up and sprung forward wrapping his arms around his mother, “Thank you.” Cat looked like she was on the verge of tears as she clung to the teenager. Carter pulled back and smoothed his clothes. “Can I use your computer for a moment to look at the exhibit online?” Kara knew his own was still locked away. 

 

“Just the science museum website…” She warned, but her eyes were sparkling more than Kara had seen them. 

 

“Deal.” Carter popped up and scurried to Cat’s office to check everything out.      

 

As soon as Carter left, Cat closed her eyes for a several seconds. “That went a little better, though I hope he meant it when he said that he wouldn’t reveal anything online. Those miscreants he talks to shouldn’t be trusted with their cans of Monster, let alone sensitive information.” 

 

Kara wet her lips, “Is that really so damaging? I mean...all you said was that you thought this was a little excessive without me being a criminal. There’s a lot of room for interpretation there.” Which was why she wondered exactly what Cat meant. 

 

“It’s damaging enough.” Cat fired back and Kara sunk into the sofa, wishing it was later in the night already and that Cat would really talk to her rather than at her while they sat curled in her office. 

 

Cat searched her face before letting out a huff as she didn’t seem to find the trust she was looking for as much as Kara knew she felt it, “I don’t want you hurt, Kara. I thought I had made that clear.” There was a slight quiver to her voice and Kara realized that she might have hurt Cat’s feelings by pulling away from her. 

 

“I know.” She reached out and laid a hand on Cat’s leg. “You don’t want me hurt by anyone and you wouldn’t hurt me.”

 

Cat reached over and tucked a strand of hair behind Kara’s ear, “Good. I...with Carter being so gung—ho it’s been...good to have someone who knows I’m not Rush Limbaugh in a compression suit.” 

 

Kara chuckled, “I don’t think you could compress him to be as beautiful as you are, even using Kryptonian technology.”

 

Cat cleared her throat and pulled away, taken aback by the statement somehow, “Yes well. Thank you, Kiera.” 

 

They sat in silence for a moment before Cat stood up and started to head into the other room. Kara rubbed the cold metal at her neck. “Cat?” She felt her heart pound in her chest. 

 

“Yes?” Cat paused in the doorway. 

 

“Would you um...would you take this off if you could?” She pushed as she gave the collar a gentle tug. She wanted to know if Cat trusted her back in the same way and that she knew that Kara wouldn’t hurt her even if she could. A small part of her imagined Cat might even want her to be free. She didn’t think Cat would say yes. Her collar wasn’t kept on the lowest setting as it was, but she wanted to believe Cat trusted her enough. 

 

Pain etched across Cat’s face for a moment, “I…it doesn’t do to dwell on things that can’t happen.” 

 

Kara’s face fell and she looked down at her hands, “I see.” She tried to smile, but she knew it wasn’t very convincing. When she looked up again, Cat was gone.

 

———————————————————

 

For the rest of the week Kara tried to force the conversation from her mind. It wasn’t that she was mad at Cat or expected her to say that she didn’t think Kara should be chained, but after what she said to Carter, Kara had hoped too far and she was angry with herself that she’d allowed herself that moment. Cat inspired more hope in her than she’d had in years and that was a dangerous thing for her emotions. It was easier to expect nothing and be happy for anything good that happens to come along.  

 

Cat didn’t act any differently towards her. In private they’d talk or work  in the office until Cat would say they should go to bed or Kara would fall asleep next to her long before Cat herself would want to turn in. It was a little embarrassing that she’d taken to passing out like a toddler who was up past her bedtime, but it was the best sleep she got as she was always touching Cat and somehow or the CEO was touching her in little tactile ways.

 

The relationship that had undergone a bit of change was Cat and Carter. They were still fighting and Carter didn’t think his mom was doing nearly enough, but there were peaceful moments sometimes. The games that they played were more fun than harrowing, even if Carter turned away the one time Cat had tried to kiss his forehead before her went to bed. 

 

Today was science museum day and Kara was getting ready in her room. It had become more of a changing room than a sleeping space as she shifted to feel safer with the Grants than by herself. All week Carter had been looking forward to this and pointing out the things they were going to see to his mother. It was the same things repeated over and over, but Cat never looked bored and would engage him every time. Kara hadn’t worked up the courage to say that she didn’t want to go. Public spaces with a lot of people were terrifying.

 

Carter assumed she would be excited about it and Cat either didn’t pick up on her reticence like she usually did or she didn’t care because it was so important to her that it go well. Cat confided in her that it was the first thing that the pair had done together for fun in over half a year. It was odd to see the confident woman so nervous about something like going to the science museum. At least if she had to go, Kara could help them see eye to eye sometimes. The Grants seemed to do better now when she was around and it made Kara feel more secure and useful to the family in some way that almost let her be a part of it. 

 

One small kindness was the fact that a few scarves had appeared in her wardrobe closet. She tied one in what she hoped was a stylish way around her neck to hide the collar. People in public wouldn’t be pleased that she covered it up, but Cat was allowing it and she would be happy to be seen as something other than subhuman for a while. She felt a little more normal as she walked out of her room to meet up with Cat and Carter so they could get going. She could hear Cat talking loudly into her phone as she headed into the kitchen.

 

“Slow down, Dirk. You can’t just summon me to an emergency board meeting on a Saturday.” There was a pause. “There’s no way the number discrepancies are SO great that it couldn’t wait until…” Kara watched as Cat winced. “That’s...he did what?!?!” Her entire body slumped as she looked over to where Carter was watching with a stony expression. “I’ll be there in 20 minutes.” Cat hung up the phone and looked at Carter apologetically. 

 

“No.” Carter interrupted whatever Cat was going to say to him, a different sort of anger at his mother gracing his features. Kara could see the way his eyes were a little too wet and his shoulders shook. The emotion wasn’t entirely anger. Carter was hurt. “Today’s our special day. It’s important, Mom…” 

 

“I know it’s our day. It’s just going to have to start a little later than we had planned.” Cat reached out to put a hand on Carter’s shoulder, but he jerked it away.

 

“No. I don’t want to go with you at all now. You don’t really care. If you did, the you’d be there. Everything is always CatCo and this perfect image, but you’re not perfect and CatCo just lies like the rest of the phony news conglomerates. You don’t tell the truth to me or anyone else and I’m done.” He tore off towards his room, keeping his face turned away from his mother while tears streaked down his face. 

 

“Carter, wait! CARTER!” Carter’s bedroom door slammed shut and Cat looked down, her own eyes filling with tears as she looked at Kara. “I have to go.” 

 

Kara swallowed. “I know,” she said softly. Cat looked every bit as broken as Carter and Kara debated for a moment before reaching a hand out and touching her shoulder. “Today was important to you too.” 

 

Cat nodded and leaned into the touch for just a moment before she sniffed and pulled away. She grabbed her purse and headed towards the door. “Those idiots are going to wish they were on vacation with Bernie Madoff when I am done with them.” She stormed out leaving Kara alone in the kitchen. 

 

Kara stood with her hands on the cool granite surface of the kitchen island. She wished that would have played out differently. As much as she wasn’t looking forwards to going, she knew how important it was for Cat and Carter. She knew whatever happened had to be an absolute emergency, but she could tell from Carter’s reaction that it wasn’t the first time that his mother had missed something. As she looked down the hall towards Carter’s room, the boy in question came out with red eyes carrying a small backpack in his hand. 

 

“Okay, I have my stuff so we can go to the science museum.” He slung the pack onto his back and looked over at Kara. 

 

“Carter…I don’t think your mother is going to be home for a couple of hours yet..” She said gently, wondering what he was getting at. 

 

“I know, but her being busy doesn’t mean that we can’t go. I have my wallet to pay for the tickets and we can take an Uber. Mom gave me my phone back yesterday for good behavior, so I can hail one.”

 

“You have a credit card…?” She shook her head at her first thought with the whole ordeal being something so mundane. “I mean, I don’t think this is such a good idea. We should just wait for Miss Grant.” After the coffee shop incident, she had avoided going anywhere in public without Miss Grant or a CatCo security person. 

 

“My dad gives me Visa gift cards for all the holidays.” He shrugged. “And I planned out the whole day, so we won’t get to see everything if we wait.” He was quiet for a moment. “She doesn’t always come back.” 

 

Kara reached out towards him, but Carter pulled back putting on a facade of being excited. “It’ll be better with just the two of us anyways since we both like science.” 

 

“I don’t think they’d be that happy with me having fun at the museum, Carter.” She gestured to the hidden collar at her neck. She felt bad for Carter, but this was a terrible idea. 

 

“So what?! You have every right to be there—just the same as everyone else.” He nodded and headed towards the door as though that settled the matter. “If you think Mom will be mad or something, then I can go by myself.” 

 

Kara stood, wishing desperately that she hadn’t had to leave her cell phone at work with the security protocols so she could call Cat. She didn’t want anything to happen to Carter, though she didn’t know what she could do if something did. Still. What would happen to her if she let Carter walk out alone and something terrible transpired? He was everything to Cat and he might say something or do something rash. She didn’t see another option. “I’ll come, but you have to text your mom and let her know where we are and what’s going on. Okay?” 

 

Carter scoffed, but pulled his phone out and tapped out something on the screen. “Done.” He opened the door and started into the hall. “Come on. I already sent for the Uber and they were like...super close.” 

 

Kara followed him out trying to fight the uneasy feeling in her stomach. The collar was concealed beneath her scarf. It would be alright and Cat would be there soon. She wouldn’t leave them alone for long. 

 

————————————————

 

Over four hours into their science museum escapade, Kara was wondering if Carter had been correct about Cat not coming. The Uber had picked them up and dropped them off with Carter paying for their tickets including all the extras before taking her hand and pulling her to the first area, which was about water. 

 

There were far too many people milling around the exhibit on a Saturday with children letting out squeals and darting to and fro. The exhibit had a Poseidon theme and there were fountains with water popping out. You could put balls of various weights on them and she and Carter tried to see how much they could use the water to balance things. It was a little childish, but it was fun and Kara felt herself loosen up a touch, though she still jumped each time she was bumped into. 

 

They went on to check out some different sensory effects. Carter delighted in the fact that Kara experienced a lot of them differently. Her hand didn’t feel hot when warm and cold wires were put next to each other. The visual effects were basically a no go. Her eyes could see more colors, even without the strength of the sun being available to her. It was yet another reminder that even without her power, she still wasn’t a human being.

 

The other areas went well as they saw exhibits on biomes, geology and space, though Kara and Carter both looked around a lot. Kara was hoping that Cat would show up and she knew that Carter felt the same way despite his protests. They took in both the iMax and the Planetarium shows before the only thing left was the genetics exhibit that Carter had wanted to see the most. He had talked about it to Cat extensively and Kara knew he wanted her there for it—despite his protests. 

 

Kara stayed as close to Carter as she could while he explained about the different facets of evolution. 

 

“See! They have bones from the early apes that evolved into humans and if you look on the screens you can see how much the genetics matchup!” He showed her the interactive display where you could zoom in on some of the specific traits that they had mapped. 

 

“That’s a very cool way to display it.” She knew the information or course, but it was a nice way to display it for younger people. 

 

“Yeah.” Carter examined the console, enraptured for another couple of minutes before moving on. 

 

“Look how big the animals used to be!” There was a skeleton of a Saber Tooth Tiger compared to one of a common house cat. 

 

“That’s a big change!” She didn’t mention that they had a lot bigger even during her lifetime on Krypton. There were basically dinosaurs until everything just...died. “How about I take a picture of you next to it for scale?” If Cat couldn’t be there, then she could at least get a picture for her. 

 

“Sure.” Carter passed his phone to her in camera mode before he stood by the giant cat and grinned.

 

Kara snapped two pictures just to be sure and handed the phone back. “Thank you.” She ruffled his hair for a moment before he darted off again. 

 

“Here’s the section on aliens. They have a lot about how they compare to humans, bit there wasn’t much online as it was just added” He looked over the information. 

 

What caused Kara to stop in her tracks were the bones on display on the opposite side of the hall from where Carter was looking. They weren’t from long dead hominids. She unconsciously took a step closer. There was a human skull compared to that of a male Khund, a female White Martian, a Daxamite, a Hellgrammite and featured on a special pedestal in the center was a Kryptoian. Kal-El.

 

Kara couldn’t see anything else as the room faded away into a dark tunnel with nothing except herself and the desecrated remains of the family member that she had failed to protect. There’s a noise at her side and a tug on her hand, but it was just something in the background. She couldn’t move. She could scarcely breath. It didn’t look like him. Not really. She could remember seeing him when he opened her pod and she could remember more clearly what it looked like to see him die. Would he ever find his way to Rao’s light like this? A source of amusement for human children. 

 

The noise next to her grew louder. “This is bullshit! You can’t just take parts of people’s bodies and not bury them right.” It was Carter and he was practically shouting. The room was hushed except for his voice. “I’m going to write about this on my blog. This is disgusting.” 

 

“Aliens are disgusting.” Another young voice chimed in from behind them. 

 

Kara tried to focus and move, but her feet were stuck to the floor and her limbs were limp at her sides. She couldn’t remember how to move them. She felt Carter pull away from her and turn.

 

“No they aren’t. They’re simply different and if you’ve paid any attention to this exhibit at all, you’d see that we’re more alike than different. Despite what the plaques might say about different kinds of DNA from different worlds.” Carter moved further away from her. 

 

“Aliens are terrorists and all this shows is that the freaks are a lot less dangerous when you kill’em.” The sneer in the voice was clear. 

 

There was a rustling noise followed by the unmistakable sound of skin on skin. That shook Kara out of her trance and brought the room back into stark focus. Carter was trying to fight a boy almost twice his size. 

 

“Oh my god, Carter!” Kara rushed in between, trying to pull Carter back and push the other kid away at the same time. Her arms weren’t any stronger than Carter’s, but she knew she had to get them apart. She couldn’t let Carter get hurt. She cared too much about him. 

 

The other kid stopped struggling and she was able to pull Carter away. “Carter, are you alright?” She pushed back his hair and looked him over. She didn’t see much on him by way of damage and breathed a sigh of relief. 

 

She didn’t notice the whispers or the fingers pointing at her. The first thing she did notice was the bright square of silken fabric on the ground. Her scarf had come off in the scuffle and now it was lying delicately along the museum floor. She didn’t have time to think before a strong hand grabbed her and jerked her back. 

 

“This is not a place for aliens. This is a fucking children’s museum. There are kids here.” The voice was rough and she struggled to get away, but couldn’t. 

 

She looked at Carter and there was fear in his eyes. She shook her head and willed him to not try and intervene more than he already had. “I’m babysitting for my owner.” The words came out easily and she kept her head down, slipping into as docile a stance as she could automatically. 

 

“Well your owner should know better than to let you loose where a bunch of little kids could get hurt or scared.” He shook her like a rag doll and Kara knew where this was going. 

 

“I only do what I’m told.” Kara searched for Carter. He was being held back by another large man, but only from moving forward. She mouthed ‘run’. Kara didn’t want him to see what happened next. She didn’t want to experience it herself. Not again. Tears started to leak from her eyes. She had wanted to stay home. 

 

“Well I’m telling you to learn your place.” She heard her rib crack before she really felt the impact, the pain lancing up her side. She fell to the ground and didn’t try to get up. She tucked her body around her vital organs as best she could, but her head was exposed so she knew it wouldn’t do that much good. They didn’t have an attache saying where they couldn’t hurt her or how much was allowed. 

 

The hits rocked her body as they kicked her. She shut her eyes and tried to take herself away from here, but she couldn’t force herself to believe she was safe on the sofa in Cat’s office and that this was just a bad dream. The pain made it too hard to think or even to breathe. More of them joined in with the first laughing and calling her names. Thud. Pain. The sound of cracking. Her body jerked in motion with the strikes. Some of the hits were lighter and the feet smaller. A pang of horror passed through the pain as she realized that they must belong to children. 

 

The onslaught didn’t stop. She felt her head starting to get fuzzy after a kick to the back of her skull and she opened her eyes for one last moment, looking up at Kal’s remains. She couldn’t survive much more of this. She was surprised that this was how it was going to end after all. She wondered if they’d take her head too; they’d be together that way. She closed her eyes again and waited for the end, hoping that Carter got away safely. She wished she’d gotten to say goodbye to Cat. She wanted to say thank you for making her feel normal. 

 

“What is the meaning of this?!” She was hallucinating now. It was Cat’s voice cutting through the taunts. A smile crossed her features. It was a good hallucination that made her feel safe. It wasn’t real, but she didn’t feel so scared anymore. She couldn’t feel them kicking her and the pain seemed to recede a bit. She couldn’t make out all of what Cat was saying in her mind but that didn’t matter since it wasn’t real. It was enough that she felt Cat there. She wasn’t going to die alone. 

 

———————————

 

Kara had imagined dying a thousand times in her cell or during one of her beatings. Nowhere in it did she expect to feel like she was being surrounded by warm arms. Angels were a human invention. She expected light and to see her mother’s face, but all she saw behind her eyes was darkness. She felt herself moving, but warm hands never left her. Wherever she was going would be a good place, she was sure. Maybe dying on earth meant she went to their heaven. A part of her was glad it was over. She could rest now.  

 

“Kara.” Someone was saying her name and it sounded like Cat. “Kara. Can you open your eyes?” She sounded worried. 

 

“Cat…” Her voice felt too real in her throat. The fogginess in her brain didn’t subside. “Are you in heaven too? Too dark for Rao...” 

 

She smelled expensive hand soap as a hand reached out to softly cup her face, “I’m not in heaven and neither are you. Try and open your eyes for me.” 

 

Kara attempted to do as Cat asked and light came into her eyes, blinding her for a moment. She groaned. “Too much.” 

 

“That’s alright. We’ll try again in a minute. We need to get you in the car.” Cat moved further away, losing contact for a moment and she frowned as rougher hands lifted her in the car before dropping her. She gasped in pain. “I said gentle, you wannabe mall cop. You’ve already allowed my property to become damaged enough!” She felt Cat crawl in next to her, pulling her against Cat’s smaller frame. 

 

“Is...is she gonna be alright.” It was Carter’s voice this time. 

 

“I hope she will be.” Cat put an arm around her and she relaxed into the hold. It was hard to keep track of what was happening. There was pain, but she couldn’t quite feel it like it was hers and her brain was swirling around. 

 

“The security didn’t step in and do their jobs when I went to get them! It all happened so fast…” He spoke quickly.

 

“Not now Carter. This wouldn’t have happened AT ALL if you had waited like I told you too. Did you even ask if she wanted to go with you? Did you stay quiet to keep her safe and hidden?” Cat’s voice had an edge. 

 

“She could have stayed home...” He trailed off with a hint of guilt in his voice.

 

“No she couldn’t have. She was supposed to be in charge of you, but you didn’t listen to her. You say how much you support alien rights, but you do not ask her what she wants to do. You make assumptions and force your view of how she should be fighting for alien rights onto her and goddamn it, I let you. I’ve been so afraid of losing you that I haven’t been parenting you and that stops today.” Cat brought her other arm around Kara into a one sided hug. “You almost got her killed. Do you understand that? Is that sinking into your hormone addled brain?!” 

 

“I didn’t think…” Carter started, his voice cracking with emotion. 

 

“No. You did think. You thought about what  _ you _ wanted and no one else. You don’t get to choose the risks that she takes. In fact, you don’t get to choose anything about her from now on. You may ask nicely if she wants to do something with you, but I can’t imagine what because you are so beyond grounded.” Cat’s tone of voice was new. It was low and dangerous and Kara still wondered if she was really alive, because Cat sounded scared that something might have happened to her. Cat was defending her to Carter. 

 

“I’m sorry.” He sniffed and Kara could tell he was crying and a bit panicked. She wanted to reach out and say she didn’t blame him, but she couldn’t bear the thought of trying to move that far and Cat was convincing. Maybe she should have had a choice, though it was hard to remember in what.  

 

“Sorry doesn’t fix anything. You need to be better and you need to start listening.” She paused. “I love you, Carter. I know you’re trying to do good, but you can’t do that by talking over the people affected and forcing them into dangerous situations to prove a point.” 

 

“I know. I’m really really sorry.” One arm left Kara and she felt a small bump that she assumed was Carter cuddling into his mother’s other side. “It wasn’t like in the pictures or the books I’ve read.” 

 

“It never is.” Cat pulled Kara a little tighter to her and Kara gave up trying to stay awake. She was alive and she was safe for now. She nuzzled into Cat and let go. Cat would watch over her now. 


	8. Chapter 8

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kara recovers from her ordeal.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you to abcooper for giving a first read, spaceshipsarecool for about 139412324 notes on how to make it better and fictorium for helping me fix the last bits that were making me bonkers. So much <3

It was bright and hands she didn’t recognize were touching her. Low voices droned on above, but she couldn’t quite make anything out through the fog in her mind except fear. She pushed against the person on her. She could smell antiseptic and fought harder, though her eyes hadn’t adjusted to the brightness yet and everything was still awash in white. 

 

“Hold her still,” a voice she didn’t know called out. 

 

“Kara...you need to hold still. You’re safe.”  _ That _ voice was familiar. 

 

“Cat?” Kara questioned. Why was Cat letting them experiment on her? 

 

“Yes. You were hurt and you’re being taken care of now. Please hold still.” She took Kara’s hand. 

 

Kara took stock of her body. It felt wrong and sharp. “Hurts,” was all she could say to describe it. 

 

“I know. You’ll be able to take something more for the pain soon. Just relax.” She stroked the back of Kara’s hand with her thumb giving her another sensation to focus on. 

 

Cat came into blurry focus for a moment as Kara’s eyes adjusted. “Cat?” She didn’t know what she was asking for, but Cat cupped Kara's face with her free hand.

 

“You’re alright. Just rest. I won’t leave you.” Her voice was soft. 

 

Kara allowed her eyes to flutter closed again and drifted back into unconsciousness as her body was being moved around. As long as Cat was there, it would be alright. 

 

———————————————

 

Kara woke up to the sound of birds and for a moment she was in Midvale. She pressed her head further into the pillow. Eliza would be in to wake her up soon. Was it the weekend? They made brownies on the weekend and she would make sure that she got to lick the bowl this time. Alex could have the mixing spoon. There was way less on the spoon if you actually licked the bowl itself and didn’t just use a teaspoon.

 

There was a creaking noise next to her. The floor wasn’t supposed to creak there. The squeaky board was on the other side of the room. The events of the last several months came rushing back to her in a jumble. Plane. Capture. Torture and fear. Her family was dead or missing. She tried to move but there were things on her limbs weighing her down so she couldn’t move freely. 

 

“Hey. Easy now. Take it easy, Kara. You’re safe. You’re alright.” A warm voice spoke from beside Kara. Cat. Cat took her hand and kept speaking softly. “You need to be still.” 

 

Kara relaxed back before letting out a cry as she shifted. “Hurts.” 

 

“I know. Here.” Kara blinked a few times to see what Cat was holding out. There were two pills in her hand. Kara opened her mouth and Cat placed them on her tongue before offering her water to wash them down with. “There you go.” 

 

Kara let the water spill into her mouth and managed to swallow the pills. She closed her eyes. It was hard to think with her body aching. Everything felt wrong...except for the fact that Cat took her hand again. It made her feel less alone as she swam in pain. 

 

Kara nodded off and awoke a short time later. The sun hadn’t changed much and Cat was sitting beside her with her hand still clasped with Kara’s. She hadn’t let go. Cat appeared to be lost in thought so Kara didn’t want to bother her and ruin the moment. Cat was always the kindest when she thought Kara wasn’t aware of it. It wasn’t long before Cat noticed her eyes were open, however. 

 

“Hello again.” Cat ran her thumb over the back of Kara’s hand. 

 

“Hi.” Kara replied with a rough voice. 

 

“Are the pills helping? The doctor wasn’t certain...I mean...with your physiology and all, it was hard to know for sure.” Cat readjusted Kara’s blanket and smoothed it out in fast little motions with her free hand. 

 

“Yeah. It’s not as bad.” She tried to move her arm and winced. 

 

“None of that.” Cat quickly reprimanded. “Your left arm is broken along with three ribs and your right leg is fractured in two places. There are some internal injuries as well and your head was hit. That’s not counting the bruising which is extensive. You need to rest and get as much sun as possible.” 

 

“Oh.” Kara knew it was bad, but she didn’t realize she was still so injured. The army would beat her, but the attache never let it come to this sort of raw damage. 

 

“You just...have to rest and take it easy for a while.” Cat brushed her hair out of her face. 

 

“I don’t think I can go anywhere…” Kara sighed. Her limbs felt heavy with the casts strapped on to keep her bones straight and she ached in a way that was hard to pin down. She looked up and blinked a few times. The sun was shining through  a skylight and there were windows that overlooked the ocean. “Where…” She trailed off, not sure if it would be ungrateful to question since she knew that medical care was something that could be revoked at any time. She didn’t think Cat would though. She wasn’t like that. 

 

“We’re at my beach house...I thought it would be good for you to recover out of the noise of the city. There’s more light that can be let in and pretty soon we’ll be able to take you outside so you can get the full sun effect.”

 

“Okay.” She swallowed. 

 

Cat’s hand found Kara’s free one again, “I’m sorry for what happened. I’m partially to blame. I should have known Carter would try something like that and I sure as hell should have made certain you were clearly in charge and had a way to contact me before I left. I just...I didn’t think about it…” 

 

“S’not your fault.” She looked over at Cat. “You didn’t hit me. I...I don’t think you would. Hurt me I mean. Like if I did something wrong even. You’re always safe.” She felt the words tumble out, the pain medication making her tongue a bit looser. 

 

“I wouldn’t hurt you. At least not on purpose.” Cat confirmed and Kara felt a warmth in her chest. Knowing Cat would never hurt her and Cat actually confirming it out loud were different things. Cat was usually so careful to leave room for interpretation and plausible deniability. This was special.  

 

Kara started to smile before feeling a sharp pain in her lip and wincing. 

 

“Careful now.” Cat wet a cloth and softly dabbed her lip. “Your lip is cut. It...the doctor thinks it’ll be one of the earlier things to heal, though.” Her voice grew softer, “Hopefully you’ll be back to smiling soon.” 

 

Kara looked closer at Cat and saw signs of strain around her eyes. She wondered how long she’d been asleep and if Cat had been watching over her the whole time. She let Cat dab her lip. It was nice to be taken care of like this. 

 

Kara waited until Cat finished and set the cloth aside to speak. “Was I...I mean. How long has it been?” 

 

“Two days. The first was the most difficult. It...it wasn’t easy finding a doctor willing to come and the army was...unwilling to allow your collar to be completely deactivated to allow rapid healing.” She frowned. 

 

“They don’t care if I die. They want me to.” She was meant to be a deterrent to other aliens that thought of landing here. She knew they wouldn’t allow it off, but she was a little surprised that Cat had gone as far as to ask them to.  

 

“That doesn’t mean that you’re going to.” Cat grabbed Kara’s hand and squeezed gently, closing her eyes with a sigh. 

 

Kara watched her for a moment, “Have...were you awake the whole time?” 

 

“Most of it. I had to make sure the doctor wasn’t being incompetent and I didn’t quite trust Carter to watch over you until you woke up. As much as he’s been trying to help.” She ran her thumb over the back of Kara’s hand. It was a habit of hers, it seemed, and Kara liked it a great deal. 

 

“Are you...will you go now?” Kara couldn’t keep the fear out of her voice. She wanted Cat to sleep, but she didn’t want her to leave. 

 

“No. Not for a while yet. I’m a CEO. I don’t NEED sleep. It’s a luxury like expensive scotch or paying the maintenance worker at the gym to tighten the bike Sandy Bullock uses in spin class so she can’t quite keep up.” She waved her free hand, but Kara could see she wasn’t telling the truth. She knew what the CEO was like after nights when she hadn’t slept much. 

 

“You could sleep next to me, maybe, if you wanted. The bed’s pretty big. I don’t think you’d hurt me in your sleep and it’s your bed that I’m taking up.” She liked to listen to Cat breathing nearby as she fell asleep. The perpetually put-together executive didn’t snore  _ exactly _ , but she had this louder sort of breathing that reminded Kara that she wasn’t alone.     

 

Cat contemplated for a moment before slowly releasing Kara’s hand and coming around to the other side of the bed. It was a normal bed with plenty of space for two, but Kara was still a bit surprised when Cat took her up on the suggestion.  

 

“Just...for a short while. I’ll need to be up to give you more pain meds.” Cat flipped over a few times until she found a position where she wasn’t touching Kara, but she was close enough that Kara could feel the warmth radiating off of her. 

 

“Alright.” If Kara could move, she would have closed the short distance, but as it was, all she could do to relax and close her eyes. She tried not to think about the crowd of people or seeing part of Kal put on display like the fossil remains of some rare monkey. It grew a little easier as Cat’s breathing evened out and grew louder like she knew it was. She listened to the familiar breaths flowing in and out and let it carry her back to sleep.

 

—————————————————————

When Kara woke the next time, it wasn’t Cat that was holding her hand. She looked over at blue eyes and mop of brown hair. “Hey Kara.” Carter said softly, eyes flooded with guilt. “I...I don’t want to wake mom up, but do you need anything? Like anything at all? I can get you whatever.” He spoke swiftly, showing his nerves. 

 

“Pain pills?” She groaned out. The pain was back in force, sharp and unyielding. 

 

“Sure.” He fumbled over a few bottles before finding the right one, reading the instructions before pulling two pills out and giving them to Kara with what was left of her water from earlier. “There ya go. Better?” 

 

“It will be in a few minutes.” She closed her eyes. She wasn’t angry with Carter, just sad with how things played out. She was glad to see him intact. She knew that he was because of the conversation she’d overheard between him and his mother after the incident, but on finally seeing it for herself she could let that last bit of panic go. She let her mind drift as she waited for the pills to kick in.

 

“Kara?” He asked softly a few minutes later.

 

“Yes?” Kara opened her eyes again to see Carter shuffling and looking at his feet. 

 

“I’m sorry that I was a bad friend. I didn’t think about how dangerous things could be for you and I made you do stuff I liked instead of finding out what you liked.” He looked up at her face. “I promise that I’ll be better.” His voice broke as he talked. “I’m sorry that you got hurt because of me. You saved me. I think you would have been a hero if they’d have let you be. I mean. You already are one.”

 

“I’m not a hero, Carter. I just care what happens to you.” Kal-El was a hero until he wasn’t. She was a coward who hid her abilities even before it was illegal to do so. She felt a little taken aback by the apology, but Carter had always treated her as an equal so she could respond in kind. “I accept your apology. But maybe you can be more careful in the future, okay?” 

 

“I can do that. Especially about you. Mom made it clear that your word is her word when she’s not around.” He nodded solemnly.

 

Kara’s felt a flash of surprise and lips twitched into a hint of a smile. “Good. That’s...good.” If her word had meaning, then it would be a lot easier to keep him safe. She could be a surrogate for Cat and make sure he was kept safe. 

 

Carter looked over at his mother, “I’m glad she’s resting. She was really worried about you. I mean. We both were, but I’ve never seen my mom like that.”

 

“Like what??” Kara was curious. She knew Cat hadn’t slept much, but Cat was treating her differently somehow and she wondered what changed to make her be more openly soft and how long it might last.  

 

“Scary. She yelled at a General and a Senator. I think the Senator cried. She managed to get a doctor who knew a little about alien stuff, but she was watching him super close the whole time. Asking questions to make sure you were being looked after right.” There was a hint of pride in his voice. Carter looked back to Kara. “Neither of us wanted to lose you.” 

 

Kara felt a swell of affection. Alex would have fought for her and maybe Eliza, but the number of people who would go to those lengths for her were few. She felt a pang of guilt as she remembered her relief at thinking she was finally going to get to die. There were people who wanted her alive. “Thank you both.” 

 

Carter shook his head. “It’s my fault you got hurt in the first place. You don’t have to thank us.”

 

“Still. Not many would care so much.” She sighed. 

 

“Shh.” Cat interrupted. “Some of us are trying to rest and others need as much sleep as possible.” 

 

Kara could tell Cat didn’t really mean the slight edge she was pushing into her voice. Carter grinned as he apologized. “Sorry, Mom.” 

 

“It’s alright. But we should let Kara get some more sleep.” Cat’s hand found hers under the blankets and gave a soft squeeze. 

 

Kara didn’t protest and closed her eyes, hearing Carter padding across the floor. Once the door shut, Cat’s voice cut through again, “He wasn’t exaggerating. You are... important.” Kara’s hand was squeezed again. “There will be some changes made. You aren’t alone, Kara.” 

 

The words hit Kara hard. Cat was using her real name and telling her she wasn’t alone. Tears stung her eyes and Cat moved closer, smoothing her hair. “Things will be better. You’ll see. Just get some rest now.” 

 

Kara wanted to argue. They were already so much more than she had expected, but Cat close beside her made her feel safe and like she had a home again. She cuddled into the warmth as much as she could and drifted off again. 

 

———————————————————

 

When she woke up next, Kara felt a little stronger. Cat was curled into her side and even as sore as she was, it felt wonderful. She looked over at Cat. She’d noticed before that the woman was beautiful when she slept, but she hadn’t gotten to see it this close up before. There was something about Cat Grant that drew her in. She wanted Cat to hold her. Cat was home in a way that no one else had been and Kara wasn’t sure if it was Cat herself or some sort of Stockholm syndrome, but she didn’t care. Being close to Cat made her happy and she hoped that whatever changes Cat would be making, it would allow for more overt closeness as opposed to stolen moments after Carter went to bed. 

 

Kara looked up through the skylight; it was early morning again judging from the sky above her. She tried wiggling her fingers and her toes to take stock of her injuries. She cried out as she tried to move her right leg. 

 

Cat shot up, “Wha?” 

 

Kara looked sheepish as Cat wiped the sleep from her eyes and looked down at her with concern.

 

“Did you hurt something, Kara?” Cat started looking her over. Soft hands gently ghosted across her skin. 

 

“No. I was just making sure everything moved. My leg protested.” She sighed. 

 

“You have to be careful, but I can understand wanting to be sure.” She squeezed Kara’s shoulder. 

 

Kara felt a sense of loss as Cat got up and searched a few bottles before pulling out a pill and handing it to Kara along with some water, “Thank you.” Kara let herself rest again. She was feeling more clear today. 

 

“Do you think that you’d be up for eating? I could make pancakes?” Cat ran her fingertips over Kara’s face. Kara felt her stomach flip as Cat’s thumb moved across her lower lip. “You look like you’re healing up quickly. The low collar setting and sunlight seem to be helping.” Cat’s eyes widened slightly and she pulled her hand away. Kara missed it and tried not to worry that the soft touches would start to taper off as she healed. What if Cat only felt comfortable touching Kara when she looked fragile and pathetic? Kara was already starting to depend on the comfort each touch brought her.

 

“I feel more like myself today.” She swallowed. “I’d like to eat, if it’s not too much trouble.” 

 

“I’ll go whip something up. Try and take it easy until I get back?” Kara could see the reluctance at leaving her alone. 

 

“I’ll stay still.” Kara reassured her. 

 

Cat’s face relaxed a bit and she nodded, “I’ll be right back.” 

 

Kara listened to the sounds of someone moving around in a kitchen. Pans banged and she heard the telltale click of a gas range being turned on. She wished she was out there instead of stuck in the bedroom. Cat did more reheating than she did cooking at the penthouse and Kara would have enjoyed seeing that side of her. Imagining it kept her mind off of the pains still plaguing her body. She heard a low murmur start to come from the other room. Carter must have woken up.  

 

When Cat returned, it was with a tray of chocolate chip pancakes, bacon and cut up fruit. She set the tray down and helped Kara to prop herself up a little more to make eating easier. “There you go. I know you have a sweet tooth, so I figured chocolate chip would be alright. My son thanks you by the way.” She smirked. 

 

“He’s very welcome.” The food looked good. Kara made to grab a utensil and winced, coughing. 

 

“Easy!” Cat put a hand on Kara’s arm before she picked up a fork and used it to section off a bite of pancake covered in syrup. “I can help you with breakfast. Open.” She slowly moved the fork forward and waited for Kara’s mouth to open so she could feed her. Once it did, Cat pushed the food inside, syrup coming to rest on Kara’s lip as Cat grazed it with the underside of the fork. 

 

Kara let out a low sound as the fluffy sweetness hit her tongue. She licked her lip, letting her tongue clean the errant syrup away. “It’s good.” She wasn’t sure if she was talking about the food or the treatment. 

 

“I’m glad.” Cat’s throat moved as she swallowed and grabbed another bite. “Wouldn’t want a rare culinary adventure to go to waste.” She said with a forced lightness as she offered another bit. 

 

“No. We wouldn’t.” Kara appreciated the gesture greatly. She closed her mouth around the offering. 

 

Cat fed Kara pancakes for a bit before offering her bacon. It wasn’t like anything Kara had experienced before. It was gentle and caring and she felt nourished in a way that had more to it than just food. 

 

The last thing Cat gave her were bits of fruit from her fingers. Kara wasn’t quite sure why she stopped using the fork when it came to the last part of the meal, but Kara didn’t find she minded as Cat offered her a grape and Kara’s mouth ghosted against Cat’s fingers. The split in her lip was mostly healed, offering the slightest bit of roughness in contrast to Cat’s soft skin.  

 

Kara was sad when her the plate was empty. Her stomach was protesting any more food, but she missed the feeling as Cat moved away.

 

“I’ll take care of this and then I’ll be back. There isn’t a TV in here, but I could read to you perhaps. If that would be something you’d enjoy. I used to...when Carter was small and got sick, he would ask for that.” Cat finished her uncharacteristic lack of decisiveness. 

 

“I’d love that.” Kara assured her. 

 

Cat smiled slightly as she went into the kitchen to put the tray away. She returned a few minutes later with a well worn copy of  _ The Wizard of Oz _ . “This was one of Carter’s favorites. I thought you might like it.” 

 

“I saw the movie, but I’ve never read the books.” Kara smiled encouragingly as Cat settled into a chair beside the bed. 

 

“ _ Dorothy lived in the midst of the great Kansas prairies, with Uncle Henry, who was a farmer, and Aunt Em, who was the farmer's wife. _ ” Cat read. 

 

Kara listened as young Dorothy Gale was taken from her home in Kansas and thrust into a completely foreign world. The allegories to her own life had been lost on her as a child when she watched the film. She’d been distracted by shiny red shoes and singing that was so different than what she knew before. This time she saw herself as Dorothy, just trying to survive and maybe find her way back. 

 

She fell asleep to the warm sound of Cat’s voice reassuring her that the lion wouldn’t be stuck in the poppy field forever when she looked fearful. No one would be left behind.

 

—————————————————

 

The next two days passed similarly. Kara would wake up for pain pills and food. Cat would read to her to fill the empty spaces and allow Kara to relax. They made it through  _ The Wizard of Oz _ and the next one in the series with Carter joining them on occasion. At night, Cat would sleep next to Kara in the bed and always wound up with some part of her touching Kara each time. Kara began to feel increasingly unnerved. 

 

It wasn’t that Kara didn’t like having Cat close. It was the opposite; Kara loved having Cat near her and was beginning to dread losing that layer of closeness as her pain drifted down to more manageable levels. 

 

Today Cat said that Kara was finally well enough to be moved in a wheelchair. Kara was excited to get to go outside so she could see the ocean. She’d get to absorb sun more directly as well and that could only be a good thing. She smiled when Cat brought in a manual wheelchair and set it next to the bed. 

 

“Alright. I’ll help with your good arm and if you could use your good leg, then I think we can get you into the chair.” Cat drew in the air with her hands as she thought over the logistics. 

 

“Okay.” Kara tentatively looped her arm around Cat’s shoulders, trying to do as she was asked. She didn’t let her face show the pain she was feeling as she moved her middle. She didn’t want Cat to say she had to stay in bed anymore. The sound of nature outside and the bright sunlight were calling to her.

 

“Slowly now. We don’t want to aggravate your injuries.” Cat guided her carefully into the chair. 

 

Kara couldn’t keep down the pained gasp as her body was jarred as she went down into the seat. 

 

“Hey, are you alright?” Cat’s hands cupped her face, her eyes looking into Kara’s for signs of distress. 

 

“I’m fine. I just. I want to go outside.” Kara answered sincerely. It hurt a little more than she thought it would, but she desperately wanted the change of scenery. 

 

“Alright.” Cat let her hands drop before she released the wheel locks and started pushing Kara outside. 

 

Kara smiled as she was led out of French doors and onto the deck. The view from the bedroom was nice, but it was much better being outdoors. The ocean crashed against the beach below the bluff they were on. Cat parked Kara next to a railing and stood next to her. They watched the waves in silence for a while before Cat broke it. 

 

“Kara...I...we need to talk about how things will be from now on.” She wasn’t looking directly at Kara, her eyes still fixed on the surf. 

 

“Cat...I know this is all a fluke because I’m injured. I won’t...I don’t have expectations. I can’t make myself not like it though. I just can’t.” Kara’s voice wavered. 

 

“That’s not what I’m saying.” She reached out and put a hand on Kara’s forearm. “I...this is difficult for me to put into words.” Kara turned to look at her as she spoke. “You were not what I expected. I...Carter and I have both grown rather attached to you in a short amount of time.” 

 

Kara’s face softened. It felt good to hear from Cat that she mattered to the people she’d grown to care for so much. Cat didn’t say things like this lightly. 

 

“It...I expected that you’d just be an assistant, kept away in your room when you weren’t needed and generally happy to have a safe life that allowed you to have your needs met. But that wasn’t what happened.” Cat wet her lips. “You...you’re extraordinary. You helped to mend the gap between Carter and myself, even though you had little to gain from it.” 

 

“I didn’t like seeing how sad not getting along made both of you. It isn’t right for families to be torn apart.” Kara’s eye drifted to the hand on her. 

 

“No...it’s not. And that’s why I was so terrified when I got the message that Carter had taken you and gone to the museum.” She squeezed Kara. “He of course sent it to the work number that I don’t check often during meetings so you’d been gone for hours by the time I saw it. I fired 3 people and ran out of the building, taking whatever security was available.” Kara could feel Cat’s hand start to tremble. “I didn’t get there in time. I saw...I was so scared that you were gone.”

 

Kara looked up and saw that Cat’s eyes were watering. It made her stomach flop. She knew Cat cared, but Cat didn’t let people see her cry. “I’ll be alright.” She tried to reassure Cat, throwing a smile on. The split in her lip had healed and a lot of her bruising was already faded.

 

“I know, but that’s why I refuse to treat you as something less than.” She cupped Kara’s face with her free hand. A gull sounded overhead, but Kara was scarcely aware of it. She could only focus on Cat and the sound of her own heart beating in her chest. She didn’t know what this moment was exactly but whatever had been changing between them irrevocably shifted. 

 

“I’m an alien.” Kara’s eyes slid from Cat’s. Aliens were less than humans and Kara felt it in every moment. She knew Cat wasn’t a liar, but there was no way this could be true. 

 

“You’re family.” Cat tilted her face so their eyes met again. Kara could see the sincerity swirling in Cat’s eyes, though there was a hint of something else that Kara couldn’t place. 

 

“I’m…” It didn’t make sense. She was just someone who lived with them. She wasn’t a part of the close bond that the Grant’s shared. It was special and Kara...wasn’t.

 

“You are a part of our family. It happened fast, but I don’t want to lie about it. At least not between the three of us, in public is another matter for safety reasons.” Cat frowned.

 

“Public versus private beliefs.” It shouldn’t sting, but it smarted somewhere beneath her skin. 

 

“I wish that it were different. If not for that fact that one would get killed or thrown in a dark hole for it, I’d be proud to let everyone know that we consider you one of us.” She ran her thumb along Kara’s cheek. 

 

The slight pang of hurt faded away. Cat just wanted to protect her and keep her safe. “I believe you.” She did. It was hard to fathom that the affection that she felt for Cat and Carter would be returned in kind, but it was. She smiled widely as it hit her fully. She was cared for...and trusted with something that could bring ruin to Cat and Carter if it was found out. There WAS no going back from this. Everything would be different. 

 

“Good.” Cat bent over slightly and brought her lips to kiss Kara’s head before pulling back. She thought for a moment before moving forward again and wrapping her arms around Kara. 

 

Kara soaked in the unexpected hug, bringing her good arm up around Cat’s shoulders. Her eyes watered. 

 

It was Cat who pulled back first after a minute or two. “Would you like to go back inside or stay out here for a while.”

 

Kara looked out over the water. “I’d like to stay out here if I can.” Kara swallowed. “Will you...um...will you stay with me?”

 

“Of course.” Cat let go of her arm and pulled over a nearby chair. She sat down in it and turned her gaze over the water as well. 

 

Kara felt Cat’s hand take her own, lacing their fingers together. It was as close to perfect as she could imagine.   

 


End file.
